The Dangers Of Alcohol During Pregnancy

Mothers who consume alcohol while pregnant or nursing are exposing their baby to a myriad of health risks

. Fetal alcohol exposure (drinking while pregnant), subjects the baby to a variety of birth defects and development issues. The dangers of alcohol consumption during pregnancy can result in a range of disorders from fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) to fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS).

Fetal alcohol syndrome is a serious and incurable condition which causes mental retardation and physical birth defects. Children born with fetal alcohol syndrome have abnormal facial features, growth retardation, and mental disabilities. Abnormalities of the face are suspected to occur between the tenth and twentieth weeks of gestation and may include but not are limited to small eye openings, a thin upper lip, and a smooth philtrum (the cleft between the nose and upper lip). Facial abnormalities caused by FAS are indication also of brain damage and mental retardation. The main developmental issue of FAS is damage to the central nervous system and to the brain. Children born with FAS may have cognitive and functional disabilities such as poor memory and cause-effect reasoning, impulsive behavior, attention deficits, and predispositions to mental health issues and drug and alcohol addiction.

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders include a range of disabilities in children who are exposed to alcohol in the womb. Children who are born with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders generally do not exhibit the abnormal facial features like with fetal alcohol syndrome. Thus, it can be more difficult to determine if a childs disorders are related to prenatal alcohol exposure. It is estimated that one percent of children have fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. Children who exhibit some but not all of the development issues of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) are recognized as experiencing fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD).

FAS and FASD birth defects can be completely prevented by abstaining from alcohol during pregnancy. Women who are trying to conceive should not drink alcohol. Women who may not have been planning pregnancy but find out they are pregnant should stop drinking alcohol immediately. If a woman has difficulty abstaining from alcohol while pregnant, she should seek professional treatment under the supervision of an experienced drug and alcohol rehabilitation center.

Over the years, many studies have attempted to determine if there is a safe level of alcohol consumption during pregnancy. For example is one drink okay? The truth is that we do not know how much alcohol it takes to produce negative outcomes and affect the health of a fetus. Thus, abstaining from alcohol during pregnancy is the most prudent course of action.

by: Larry A Burns

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