Table of contents:
- What are the effects of drinking alcohol during pregnancy?
- Is there a difference between drinking a little and drinking a lot of alcohol while pregnant?
- What can I do if I drink alcohol while pregnant?
As we have seen before, pregnant women should stay away from alcohol as much as possible. For those of you who are not drinkers of alcohol, this may not be a problem. However, for women who were accustomed to drinking before pregnancy, this may be a little difficult. Even though it's difficult, it's best to stay away from alcohol while you are pregnant, even if you are planning a pregnancy, as this is bad for your baby.
What are the effects of drinking alcohol during pregnancy?
The alcohol you drink then along with the bloodstream will flow in your body quickly. This alcohol can penetrate the placenta, so it can reach the baby in your womb. In the baby's body, alcohol is broken down in the liver. However, your baby's liver is in a developmental stage and is still not mature enough to break down alcohol. As a result, the baby's body can't break down alcohol as well as yours. Thus, in the baby's body there is a high level of alcohol in the blood.
Due to the high levels of alcohol in your baby and you, this can put your pregnancy at increased risk of:
- Miscarriage
- Premature birth
- Stillbirth (stillbirth)
- Babies are born with low body weight
- Birth defects
- Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) or fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). This can be experienced by your child for life. This condition is characterized by poor growth during the womb, or after birth, or both. Babies can experience facial deformities (smaller heads), abnormalities in the heart, and damage to the central nervous system. Damage to the central nervous system can include intellectual disabilities, delayed physical development, vision and hearing problems, and various behavioral problems.
Not only that, when the baby is born and grows up, the baby is also at risk of experiencing problems with learning, speaking, attention, language, and hyperactivity. Several studies have shown that mothers who drink at least once a week while pregnant are more likely to have children exhibiting aggressive and naughty behavior compared to pregnant women who don't drink alcohol.
The more or often you drink alcohol while pregnant, the more it increases your baby's risk of developing FAS or FASD, or of having mental, physical, or behavioral problems later in life. More alcohol in your body can permanently damage the developing baby's cells. So, this can affect the growth of the baby's face, organs and brain.
Is there a difference between drinking a little and drinking a lot of alcohol while pregnant?
How much alcohol impacts pregnancy depends on:
- How much alcohol did you drink while pregnant?
- How often do you drink alcohol while pregnant?
- At what gestational age do you drink alcohol?
The effects of alcohol can be exacerbated if the mother also smokes, uses drugs, or has poor health during pregnancy. In addition, the impact of alcohol is also more developed in babies who have hereditary characteristics compared to other babies. However, it is not clear why this happened.
Some experts say that learning difficulties and memory problems in children can occur if pregnant women drink alcohol during the third trimester of pregnancy. This is a time when your baby is experiencing a lot of growth and his brain is developing.
However, no matter how little or how much you drink alcohol, alcohol is still not good for your baby's growth and development. No one knows what alcohol limits are safe for pregnant women. So, experts advise you not to touch alcohol at all when you are pregnant, even before becoming pregnant. There are too many risks to your baby if you drink alcohol while pregnant.
What can I do if I drink alcohol while pregnant?
If you have been drinking alcohol while pregnant at this time, you should immediately check your pregnancy to a doctor. Tell your doctor that you have ever drank alcohol. Your doctor will likely look for signs related to FASD in your unborn baby. The doctor will monitor the health of you and your baby both before and after birth.
The sooner you tell your doctor about this problem the better it is for you and your baby. After that, it is best if you stop drinking alcohol while you are pregnant and while planning your pregnancy again.
