The Risks of ALCOHOL in pregnancy

FACT SHEET

Consumption of alcohol during pregnancy is believed to cause complications such as: small body size and weight of newborn, slow physical and cognitive development, small head, limited movement of joints, facial abnormalities, short-sightedness, organ deformities, heart defects, genital malformations, kidney and urinary defects, irritability in infancy, learning disabilities, short attention span and poor body, hand and finger coordination.

While some of these effects are still under research, you do not want to gamble with the health of your baby.

There is a myth that a certain beer when drank during pregnancy ‘bathes’ the foetus, making the baby come out clean’ at birth. This is just that—a myth!

Beer—in fact or any alcohol—is NOT good for an expectant woman.

One in every 15 babies of alcoholic mothers is born at less than their ideal weight (underweight).
A foetus is not equipped to digest or break down alcohol. The foetus retains most of the alcohol it receives from the mother, thereby causing damage to the baby’s organs before birth.

ALCOHOLIC drinks are chemical substances and they affect the foetus in your womb in a number of ways— all negatively. Everything that a pregnant woman consumes is filtered through her digestive system into the umbilical cord which supplies the baby with nourishment. When you drink alcohol, so does your baby. Therefore expectant mothers should avoid alcohol completely! In fact, a woman who is anticipating or trying to get pregnant should stop taking alcohol altogether.
It is important to note that no safety levels of alcohol consumption have been established in pregnancy, therefore one cannot assume that it is safe to take it in small amounts, once in a while! Alcohol intake has been associated with some of the effects discussed below.

Birth defects/congenital malformations
One of the leading causes of preventable birth defects is alcohol consumption. When taken especially early in pregnancy— meaning during the first 8 weeks, alcohol is likely to cause congenital malformations. Congenital malformations are those abnormalities that form while the baby is still within the womb; they are different from birth defects. They can be physical, metabolic or genetic. During the earliest stages of pregnancy, your baby’s critical organs are forming, and cells are dividing very rapidly, that is why alcohol intake at this point exposes baby to the highest risk. The congenital malformations caused depend on the embryological damage which occurs as a result of alcohol intake. These defects can be single or multiple.

Metabolic disturbances to the mother
Alcohol affects the metabolic processes in the mother and this disturbs the homoeostatic mechanisms causing the mother not to be at her optimum in terms of body function. The mother may experience deficiency in vitamins and minerals, depression, damage to her internal organs including the liver and an increased risk of developing certain types of cancers. She may also experience other changes in her organs, including liver cirrhosis and these directly affect maternal physiological functions, compromising the maternal-foetal relationship.

Miscarriages and low birth weight
Alcoholic drinks go to the placenta and affect the metabolic processes of the growing foetus. There is a direct correlation between alcohol consumption and foetal development; it affects birth weight and increases chances of a miscarriage. Mothers who drink during pregnancy are at risk of giving birth prematurely. Low birth weight is the most common birth defect which is often caused by alcohol intake. Premature babies are smaller than mature babies and their immune systems are not fully developed, making them vulnerable to infection. Vital organs like lungs are not fully developed so these babies may suffer respiratory problems or even respiratory failure.

Withdrawal symptoms in the baby
After birth, a baby born from an alcoholic mother experiences alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Just like an alcoholic adult, who has gotten used to alcohol, the baby experiences the same withdrawal symptoms.

Reduced milk production
Alcohol intake in a breastfeeding mother results in lower milk production and makes the baby irritable and unsettled.

There is a mistaken belief among some people that alcohol intake increases breast milk. In reality, however, what happens is the opposite. This means that the baby feeds less during the hours following alcohol consumption. Regular intake of alcohol causes gross motor development defect and also implants in the baby an addiction to alcohol.

Some mothers try pumping their breasts and discard the milk before breastfeeding as a way of preventing the alcohol they have consumed from being present in breast milk. This does not help as any milk produced thereafter will still contain alcohol as long as the mother still has it in her (blood) system.

Unfortunately, many women are not sensitised to the dangers of drinking and even taking drugs while pregnant. It is common to find pregnant or lactating women still indulging in alcohol, either ignorantly or unconcerned about its possible effects.

Lower IQ levels in babies
Drinking alcohol during pregnancy could affect your child’s intelligence. A new study conducted at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine suggests that even moderate drinking during pregnancy is linked to lower IQ levels in children at 10 years of age. The impact of heavy prenatal alcohol exposure on IQ ranges from a two to a seven-point decrease.

Foetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is one of the most common causes of mental retardation in babies and later behavioural problems. FAS is a widely used term in relation to alcohol intake during pregnancy. It is a general term that refers to any foetal disorder that is caused by alcohol.

Alcohol Related Birth Defects (ARBD) and Alcohol Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder (ARND) are some other terms used to refer to the same problem. Fatal Alcohol Effects (FAE) is a term that used to describe some but not all of the features of FAS.

END: PG8/42-43