Alcohol and Pregnancy: Can I Drink While Pregnant?

We have all heard the warnings-don’t drink while pregnant. We have heard time and again that is a preventable condition. But is drinking any amount of alcohol while pregnant dangerous? There is little argument that heavy drinking harms the developing fetus. There is more debate, however, as to whether a small amount of alcohol can cause harm to the fetus. The March of Dimes believes it is best to stay away from all alcohol while pregnant to avoid any harmful side effects. According to the March of Dimes, 40,000 babies are born each year with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome in the United States. During pregnancy, the heart, the brain, the nervous system, the respiratory system, and the digestive system are all developing. When a pregnant mother consumes alcohol, the alcohol passes through the placenta and is exchanged from the mother’s blood to the fetus’ blood. However, alcohol is metabolized differently in the fetus than in the adult; it takes longer to break down, resulting in a higher blood alcohol content for a longer period of time in the fetus. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Results In: • Mental retardationrn• Learning deficitsrn• Emotional and behavioral problemsrn• Damage to organs 5 Things the CDC Thinks You Should Know About Drinking During Pregnancy: • Drinking during pregnancy can cause birth defects and disabilitiesrn• No known amount of alcohol is safe to the fetusrn• There is no safe time to drink during pregnancyrn• 1 in 12 women drink during pregnancyrn• Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FASD) is preventable According to the CDC, besides causing stillbirths and miscarriages, there are a number of disorders that drinking alcohol can cause a developing fetus that persist after the birth of the child. These include: • Abnormal facial featuresrn• Shorter than average heightrn• Poor coordinationrn• Poor learning skillsrn• Low IQrn• Vision and hearing problemsrnThe evidence is undisputed that heavy drinking during early fetal development is dangerous. Researchers have found a link between binge drinking and heavy drinking and preterm births even if drinking was stopped by the second trimester. This is especially true if other risk factors exist such as smoking, maternal health, socioeconomic factors, and substance abuse. The debate now turns to occasional drinking during the later stages of pregnancy. Alcohol, Smoking and Pregnancy There appears to be a link between women who continue to drink regularly throughout their pregnancy and those who smoke as well. Heavy drinking and smoking can double the risk factors of disease for both the mother and developing fetus. Smoking Impacts on the Fetusrn• Low birth weightrn• Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) • Damaged placenta functionrn• Smaller organsrn• Chromosomal alterations Smoking Impacts on the Infantrn• Poor lung functionrn• More frequent illnessrn• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) • Long-term reproductive impactrn• Cleft palate Smoking Impacts the Motherrn• Abnormal bleeding during pregnancyrn• Premature detachment of placentarn• Hormone imbalance The evidence focused upon smoking and birth defects remains crystal clear: smoking is harmful to both the mother and the developing fetus. However, low levels of alcohol consumption and negative fetal development is still under study. This statement should not be misunderstood. It is considered prudent by most researchers to err on the side of caution and abstain from drinking while pregnant. Should that be impossible, significantly reduce drinking to the lowest levels possible.