Drinking Alcohol During Pregnancy: Is It Safe? What Are the Effects?

• March 5, 2020
• Master Admin
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Some women may have very little alcohol during pregnancy and have babies with serious health conditions. The best way to keep your baby safe from problems caused by alcohol during pregnancy is not to drink alcohol when you’re pregnant. “Pregnant women should strictly avoid alcohol consumption,” Dr. Kienast said. “As we show in our study, even low levels of alcohol consumption can lead to structural changes in brain development and delayed brain maturation.” A new MRI study revealed that consumption of alcohol even in low to moderate amounts during pregnancy can change the baby’s brain structure and delay brain development. Results of the study will be presented next week at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America . Every pregnancy starts out with a 3-5% chance of having a birth defect.

Small head, weighs less than other babies, and has distinctive facial features. Ketamine has been explored as a treatment for depression and other conditions. Now, researchers say it may be helpful for alcohol use disorder. However, they do assume the changes related to cognitive and behavioral difficulties will continue into childhood.

Pregnancy, drinking, and the COVID-19 pandemic

The sooner you get help, the better life will be for you and your baby. This follows the advice of most health organizations focused on pregnancy, such as theAmerican College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. In November 2015, the American Academy of Pediatrics published a reportthat alcohol during pregnancy focused on recognizing, diagnosing, and treating FASD. The AAP reaffirmed their recommendation that no amount of alcohol should be consumed during any trimester of pregnancy with a video series in 2019. This is when a baby dies in the womb before 20 weeks of pregnancy.

Continuing on from the idea of risk evaluation is the idea that alcohol can be used to relieve stress for the mother and this might outweigh the risk of harm to the baby. Women who are feeling anxious and stressed need to be clearly informed of the potential risks that alcohol may cause to the foetus. Women need to be provided with alternative strategies to manage any anxiety and stress. Further, midwives who might be currently promoting the use of alcohol for stress relief also need to be well informed of the potential harms of alcohol in pregnancy and the current NHMRC guidelines .

Pregnancy

For the past few decades, women have been urged to avoid alcohol during pregnancy. Respected medical societies like the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the United Kingdom’s Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists Women both say women shouldn’t drink any alcohol during pregnancy. The main reason for this is that heavy use of alcohol during pregnancy has been linked to a long-term and irreversible condition known as fetal alcohol syndrome .

Women may be drinking alcohol during pregnancy in the narrow span of days after conception, when they might not know they are pregnant. This exposure to alcohol during pregnancy can alter the blueprint of a child’s face, as well as disrupt the development of the brain, spinal cord and other organs forming at that time. Other variables which can determine the degree of damage caused by drinking alcohol during pregnancy include the mother’s genetics, nutrition, age, and what parts of the brain and body are being developed. Yes, drinking alcohol during pregnancy is a big deal and here’s why… When you consume alcohol during pregnancy, so does your baby. The same amount of alcohol that is in your blood is also in your baby’s blood. Although your body is able to manage some alcohol in your blood, you baby’s little body isn’t capable of doing that.

How can I prevent FAS?

Most importantly, please remember that the brain is always developing, even after the baby is born! Thus, you should abstain from alcohol use during the entire pregnancy, which includes wine, wine coolers, beer, and spirits / hard liquor. FASD is only caused if a woman consumes alcohol while she is pregnant, and FASD is not hereditary. However, a partner can, and should, be supportive of the mom-to-be by encouraging her not to consume alcohol, and by abstaining from alcohol as well during the pregnancy. The use of alcohol during pregnancy can cause temporary symptoms in newborns soon after birth. Babies have an increased chance of going through withdrawal if they have been exposed to alcohol close to delivery.