Alcohol and Pregnancy
Alcohol and pregnancy
really shouldn’t mix. Drinking while pregnant can
cause a host of issues for your baby. For this reason, women
who are pregnant should completely abstain from alcohol
consumption.
Due to its prevalence in society, many women come into frequent contact
with alcohol during pregnancy, but few realize that even light or
moderate drinking can have a negative effect on the baby.
Scientists have not be able to determine a safe level of alcohol for
pregnant women, but it’s not terribly uncommon for women to
drink while pregnant. At least 1 in 12 women report having
used alcohol in pregnancy, and 1 woman in 30 report an episode of binge
drinking, which is drinking more than five drinks in a single
night.
Why
is Drinking and Pregnancy a Dangerous Mix?
When consumed, alcohol causes a rise in the blood-alcohol level, which
gives the user a feeling of being “buzzed” or
drunkenness. While the adult body is fairly adept at breaking
down the alcohol and eliminating it from the body, a baby’s
body is not as good at it, which sometimes results in a higher and more
sustained blood-alcohol level for the baby. The effect of
this can be long lasting and dangerous for the baby.
Women who drink alcohol in pregnancy have a higher risk of miscarriage
and stillbirth. One study even found that women who have five
or more drinks a week during pregnancy have a
70% greater chance of having a stillborn baby. Babies whose
mothers drink heavily throughout pregnancy have a greater risk of being
born with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS).
What
is fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)?
FAS is a preventable form of mental retardation. Between
1,000 and 6,000 babies a year are born with FAS. When mothers
expose their babies to frequent and prolonged contact with
alcohol, their organ systems are unable to develop
properly.
When babies who have FAS are born, they often have the following
characteristics:
- * Low birth
weight
- * Small eyes
- * Thin
upper lip
- * Small,
abnormally formed brain
- * Poor
coordination
- * Organ
system issues
Later in life, children who have FAS may have the following issues:
- * Physical
defects
- * Organ
system defects
- * Learning
and behavioral problems
-
* Difficulty with attention
- * Memory
and problem solving issues
- * Speech
and language delays
-
* Hyperactivity
FAS cannot be changed after it occurs, and the effects of mental
retardation are life long and create many challenges for both the
parents and the child. The best way to prevent these issues
from occurring is to abstain from alcohol entirely.
Alcohol
and Pregnancy - Before Pregnancy Confirmation
Some women engage in drinking while pregnant before they know that they
are pregnant. It’s easy to do after all.
Sometimes it takes two full months before you actually find out you are
pregnant. While this is very worrisome to women who have
concerns about drinking and pregnancy, it is not likely that occasional
alcohol use early in pregnancy is going to cause life-long damage to
your baby’s body systems. If you think you are
pregnant or have doubts about it, it’s best to abstain
entirely from alcohol. Alcohol and pregnancy just
don’t mix.
Substance
Abuse and Pregnancy - Getting Help To Stop
If you are drinking while pregnant, speak to your doctor or midwife
immediately if you suspect you might have issues with
alcohol. There is help available for those who need it, and
choosing to get help with this issue can make a monumental difference
in your baby’s life.
Some women may have issues with drinking alcohol that they have carried into their pregnancy.
If there are alcohol abuse issues in pregnancy, then there is help
available. Women may call the National Council on Alcoholism
and Drug Dependence at 1-800-NCA-CALL (622-2255) for assistance in
locating help for a problem with alcohol and pregnancy.
Go from Alcohol and Pregnancy to Pregnancy Information.
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