Alcohol Use During Pregnancy
There are many misconceptions about alcohol use during pregnancy. It is said that drinking in small amounts, or during the early stages of pregnancy, has no effect. This is not true. In any case, drinking alcohol during pregnancy carries serious risks.
A study published in The Lancet Global Health indicates a significant concern about alcohol consumption during pregnancy. According to this study, there are 5 countries where this phenomenon is more often present. They are all located in Europe.
The study found that 60% of Irish women drink alcohol during pregnancy. Next come the Belarusians with 47%, the Danes (46%), the British (41%) and finally the Russians with 37%.
The same study indicates that one in 77 women who drink alcohol during pregnancy give birth to a child with fetal alcohol syndrome. There is no specific factor that allows us to know in advance in which cases the syndrome will occur. Sinister lottery …
Alcohol consumption during pregnancy
Alcohol use during pregnancy can cause a series of illnesses known as Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. These are the leading non-genetic causes of birth defects and developmental delays in children.
It is thus obvious that the consumption of alcohol during pregnancy can lead to serious deficits, both at birth and during the development of the child. These health problems last a lifetime and have unforeseeable consequences.
Drinking alcohol is dangerous since it passes from mother to baby via the umbilical cord. This leads to consequences ranging from miscarriage and fetal death to disabilities and abnormalities such as:
- Head diameter smaller than normal
- Child’s height smaller than normal
- Easy anomalies
- Low body weight
- Hyperactivity problems
- Problems with coordination, memory, concentration, reasoning and discernment
- Learning difficulties
- Language acquisition delays
- Low intellectual coefficient
- Sight and hearing problems
- Health problems with the heart, kidneys and bones
Drink with moderation ?
Some women mistakenly think that drinking only a few cups or drinking less alcohol will not affect the baby. This is wrong. Any alcohol consumption is potentially dangerous at every stage of pregnancy. However, consumption is less dangerous during the first 3 months of pregnancy.
Beer, wine or cocktails are not safe. Indeed, they all contain alcohol. The risk of serious consequences is very high in women who drink only once, in large quantities, during their pregnancy. But also in those who drink little, but very often.
Thus, the more alcohol you drink during pregnancy, the higher the risk of giving birth to a child with malformations. However, only one consumption can cause serious consequences. As we have already mentioned, here we are faced with a factor of chance.
Fetal alcohol syndrome
Fetal alcohol syndrome is a disorder presented by the children of mothers who have used alcohol during pregnancy. This leads to brain damage and developmental problems. Worse still, the damage caused by this syndrome is irreversible.
The severity of symptoms of fetal alcohol syndrome vary from case to case. For example, there are physical malformations, cognitive problems and psychosocial difficulties. Children diagnosed with the syndrome early have a better prognosis than others.
It was previously believed that a mother who consumed alcohol during pregnancy only gave birth to a child with problems when the child had physical deformities. We now know that the cognitive and psychosocial effects can be devastating as well. However, it is true that these effects are not as obvious as physical malformations.
Information to consider about alcohol consumption during pregnancy
A woman should stop drinking alcohol not only as soon as she becomes pregnant, but also when she is trying to get pregnant. The exact time of fertilization is not known and, therefore, she may already be pregnant while drinking alcohol.
Nowadays, it is not known how alcohol affects male semen. Available information indicates that only maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy can cause fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.
If a woman is an alcoholic and becomes pregnant, she should get help to stop drinking as soon as possible. Some drink and have normal children, but every pregnancy is unique. So, maybe one of the children will be born without problems, but the others will have deformities.
