Alcohol and pregnancy is a very sensitive topic. This article aims to look at the the relationship between alcohol and pregnancy,effect of alcohol on pregnancy,the impact of alcohol on the unborn baby if any and what the pregnant woman need to do.
EFFECT OF ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION ON BABY’S HEALTH DURING PREGNANCY
When you consume alcohol while pregnant, the alcohol in your blood travels instantly to your baby via the placenta and umbilical cord. The placenta develops in your uterus (womb) which provides food and oxygen to the baby by the umbilical cord. Any amount of alcohol consumed during pregnancy will damage the growing brain and other organs of your infant. At any period during pregnancy, no level of alcohol has been shown to be healthy.
During pregnancy, there is no healthy time to consume alcohol. Alcohol can harm your baby at some point of pregnancy, including when you get pregnant. You can be pregnant and be unaware for up or four to six weeks.
Consumption of alcohol during pregnancy raises the baby’s risk of developing the following problems:
- Premature birth. This occurs anytime an infant is born prior to the 37th week of pregnancy. Premature infants can experience severe health complications during birth and later in life.
- Trauma to the brain and difficulties in growth and development
- Birth abnormalities, such as cardiac defects, auditory impairment, or visual impairment. Birth defects are medical disorders that exist at the time of birth. Birth defects alter the appearance or role of one or more body components. They can impair physical wellbeing, the way the body grows, or the way the body functions.
- Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (also called FASDs). Children diagnosed with FASDs can experience a variety of difficulties, including intellectual and cognitive disorders. There are issues with the way the brain operates that may make it difficult for an individual to read, communicate, take care of himself, or get along with others. Additionally, they can experience difficulties or delays in physical growth. FASDs are usually permanent. Consumption of alcoholic beverages during breastfeeding raises the risk of developing a child with FASDs. Binge drinking occurs anytime you consume four or more beverages in less than two or three hours.
- Underweight at birth (also called LBW). This occurs anytime an infant weighs less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces at birth.
- Abortion
HOW TO PROTECT YOUR BABY FROM ALCOHOL WHEN YOU ARE PREGNANT
If you abstain from drinking during pregnancy, your child will be protected from FASDs and other alcohol-related health issues. Avoid alcohol consumption if you are pregnant or whenever you are thinking of getting pregnant.
Certain people can consume alcohol when pregnant and deliver safe babies. Certain pregnant women can consume very little alcohol and deliver babies with severe health problems. Each gestational period is unique. Alcoholic beverages can be more harmful to some babies than others. The only way to protect your unborn baby from alcohol-related complications is to abstain from alcohol use.
Avoid alcohol use whether you are pregnant, planning to conceive, or if you suspect you might be pregnant. If you ever get pregnant, ensure that you have routine maternal treatment (medical care you get during pregnancy). Inform your physician if you need assistance in abstaining from alcohol.
HOW CAN YOU STOP DRINKING ALCOHOLIC WHILE PREGNANT?
It’s possible that you’ll continue to consume alcohol when pregnant. Alcohol is often consumed during social gatherings such as weddings and sporting competitions. You may be used to sipping wine with dinner or at the end of a long day. It may be difficult to give up drinking when pregnant.
Here are few suggestions to assist you in quitting alcohol:
- Consider taking other beverages, such as fruit juices or wine. Make things more enjoyable by adding a nice straw or an umbrella to the bottle.
- Avoid circumstances or locations where you normally consume alcohol, such as celebrations or pubs.
- Exclude all alcohol from your house.
- Inform your husband, colleagues, and relatives that you are abstaining from alcohol through breastfeeding. Solicit their assistance and encouragement.
WHEN ISN’T ALCOHOL SAFE?
During pregnancy, there is no such thing as a healthy time to drink. During pregnancy, even when a woman discovers she is pregnant, alcohol may trigger complications for the growing baby. Alcohol consumption during the first three months of pregnancy may result in an irregular facial appearance in the infant. Drinking alcohol at some point during pregnancy may cause growth and central nervous system complications (e.g., low birth weight, behavioral issues). Throughout breastfeeding, the baby’s brain is growing and may be harmed from alcohol consumption at any moment.
It’s never too late for a woman to consider consuming alcohol when she’s pregnant. The earlier a mother quit drinking, the safer for her child and herself.
ALCOHOL RISKS FOR PREGNANT WOMEN
Alcohol may also have a detrimental impact on a pregnant woman, particularly if she is dealing with addiction. She could become malnourished, and weigh less than the norm. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, she could be putting her unborn baby at the risk of having Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders
All of these conditions placed her unborn child at risk of experiencing even other alcohol-related health problems. She may come from a drinking background, making abstinence impossible for her during her pregnancy. Her alcohol consumption patterns can also impair her parenting and caregiving abilities after the kid is born, resulting in negative consequences for both she and her infant.
PREGNANCY AND ALCOHOL: The Effecs Of Bringe Drinking
According to the NIAAA, binge drinking is described as drinking 4 or more drinks in a row for ladies. If a pregnant mother binges often, her unborn baby is more likely to have serious mental and health problems. 5 or more binge drinking episodes in a one-month span is considered heavy drinking. Although excessive drinking clearly poses a substantial risk to pregnant women as well as their unborn babies, merely one incident of binge drinking will place a pregnant lady in extreme danger.
Drinking heavily impairs normal defenses, increasing the likelihood that an individual will participate in sexual activity without taking pregnancy precautions. A woman can continue to drink; especially if she is unaware she is pregnant. Whether she suffers with an alcohol problem, she might have a tough time abstaining from drinking.
Women who are intimately involved with abusive romantic partners can attempt to conceal their pregnancies. When they are doing that, they manage to drink in order to conceal their pregnancy.
Read more about pregnancy and alcohol
ALCOHOL IMPACT ON THE FOETUS’S CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
When a foetus is subjected to alcohol, Alcohol has an impact on the heart and central nervous system during the third week. As long as the mother continues to drink, the fetus’s pupils, arms, legs, and core will suffer.
Teeth and ears may be impaired in week six while the mother begins to drink. At this stage, she most likely thinks she is pregnant but has not verified it. If she manages to drink, she would have an effect on the fetus’s palate and external genitalia (genitalia noticeable to the naked eye). This process is repeated until the 12th week, or third month.
Within the 12th week and the infant’s birth, repeated exposure to alcohol has a detrimental impact on the brain, resulting in the emotional, learning, and behavioural consequences of prenatal alcohol exposure. If a woman is about to conceive, she can immediately avoid drinking and abstain from alcohol consumption during her pregnancy. If she is struggling with an alcohol problem, she can seek out therapies that can assist her in recovering so that her kid will be born safely.
A pregnant woman, or someone else who is dependent on alcohol, should never want to quit on their own. To treat potentially life-threatening withdrawal symptoms, professional support and medical detox are needed. Pregnant women must also take extra precautions during drug therapy to ensure the welfare of both the mother and the infant.
KEY POINTS
- Whether you’re pregnant, planning to get pregnant, or fear you may be pregnant, don’t drink alcohol.
- Alcohol will harm your baby at some point during birth, even when you realize you’re expecting.
- Drinking alcohol during pregnancy increases the risk of early delivery, birth abnormalities, and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders in your fetus. Instead of drinking alcohol what you need is to be eating well