Six Bad Effects of Drinking Alcohol during Pregnancy

Of all the things that are known to serve as a hindrance in a baby’s overall development while inside a mother’s womb, alcohol stands atop the list. And, hence, consumption of alcohol during pregnancy, especially in large quantities, is strictly prohibited. Alcoholic drinks such as wine, wine coolers, beer and other liquors when consumed pass from the mother’s blood through the placenta to the baby’s blood and cause damage to the growth of the baby to quite an extent.

Effects of alcohol on Baby during Pregnancy

Drinking alcohol increases the baby’s chances of suffering from the below mentioned problems:-

•    Premature Birth – this is one of the most common effects of alcohol consumption during the months of conception. Premature birth is when a baby is born before 37 weeks of pregnancy. Babies born before time are known to face many serious health problem at a later stage in their lives.
•    Growth Defects – brain damage, heart defects, hearing problems, vision problems along with other growth and development problems are also a cause of consumption of alcohol during pregnancy.
•    Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder – children born with FASDs are known to face a range of health problems including intellectual and developmental disabilities. These are basically linked with the functionality of brain – cause trouble in communicating, learning, take care of one self, etc. Also, these are known to be lifelong effects.
•    Low Birthweight – this is when a baby is born with a weight less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces.
•    Miscarriage – this is when the baby dies in the worm within 20 weeks of pregnancy.
•    Stillbirth – this is when the baby dies in the worm.

Amount of Alcohol safe for Drinking during Pregnancy

Though consumption of any amount of alcohol is considered to pose adverse effects on the baby’s development, having a drink once in a blue moon, as per OBs, can be permitted to pregnant women. This is because, every pregnancy is different. Some women may consume alcohol and still give birth to healthy babies. While, in other cases, alcohol may cause fatal problems in the growth of the baby.

Ways to give up Drinking during Pregnancy

Those who have a drinking problem, must consult their OBs and look for alternate methods to overcome the habit.
 
•    Try and replace your alcoholic drink with something else equally soothing such as shakes, fruit punch, etc.
•    Steer away from situations or places where you generally hang-out and drink.
•    Discard all your alcohol stalked at home for the next nine months.
•    Reduce spending time with people who consume alcohol as watching others drink can trigger the craving which can be very hard to resist.
•    Replace your times of craving by indulging into talks with a friend or loved one, by listening to music or even exercising as a matter of fact.

To conclude, there are many things that can widely affect a baby’s growth when inside a mother’s womb. One of them is consumption of alcohol during pregnancy by the mother. Avoid any kind of liquor intake and ensure your baby’s safety and healthy development.