Most women know that the use of alcohol during pregnancy can damage the baby, causing low birth weight, diminished ability to thrive, and a set of symptoms collectively called fetal alcohol syndrome. The government recommends that women who are...
Perhaps nothing awakens maternal or paternal instincts, or evokes stronger judgments, than seeing a pregnant woman drink. Despite popular belief, however, addictions cannot be controlled by willpower alone. The "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual...
Alcohol addiction always is a serious issue, but it is especially worrisome during pregnancy. Any alcohol a pregnant woman drinks will quickly reach the fetus and might cause irreversible damage, according to the American Pregnancy Association....
Alcohol is a known toxin that crosses the placenta to a growing fetus during pregnancy. Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can have devastating effects on the fetus and cause complications with the pregnancy itself. Drinking in early pregnancy,...
An expectant mother's actions can have a considerable effect on her child. Smoking and drinking are two such actions that can be very harmful to a baby in the womb, increasing the risk of birth defects and complications and even putting the baby's...
According to the Merck Manuals, 90 percent of women consume prescribed, social or illegal drugs during their pregnancy. Some drugs are essential for a woman's health and the fetus. However, they should only be consumed after consulting a doctor or...
It is widely known that heavy drinking during pregnancy may cause birth defects, however many women do not realize that moderate to light use of alcohol may also be harmful. According to the March of Dimes, no level of alcohol use during pregnancy...
The use of drugs and/or alcohol during pregnancy is a serious problem with dangerous consequences.. The American Counsel for Drug Education explains that drug use while pregnant is doubly dangerous. Drugs may harm a woman's health and interfere...
Many women wonder, when faced with the thought of conceiving or the possibility of pregnancy, whether they can continue to drink alcohol. Further, even women who plan to abstain from all alcohol during pregnancy are occasionally surprised by a...
If you're pregnant, you probably already know that you should avoid alcohol during your pregnancy for the safety of your developing baby. You might wonder, however, whether alcohol from sources other than grapes, as in wine, or grain, as in beer,...
Pregnancy is a time when many women worry about their eating or drinking habits. Because it may be a few weeks before your pregnancy is confirmed, you may have been enjoying your usual coffee, energy drinks, wine or liquor in the earliest stages...
While pregnant, no known quantity of alcohol is considered safe for the baby, therefore many obstetricians recommend that pregnant women avoid alcohol completely as soon as they know they are pregnant. According to the American Pregnancy...
Pregnant women in many countries drink an occasional glass of wine while pregnant, but in the United States, this practice is generally frowned upon. With so much conflicting information regarding the effects of alcohol during pregnancy, it can be...
Many women, once they find out they're pregnant, worry about the behaviors in which they engaged during early pregnancy. One of the most common concerns in mothers-to-be is that alcohol consumed before they found out they were pregnant will hurt...
Fetal alcohol syndrome, or FAS, was first identified in 1973 as a spectrum of disorders that can result in physical abnormalities, cognitive deficits and behavioral difficulties in children who were exposed to alcohol while in utero. According to...
Drinking any kind of alcohol during pregnancy is believed to be a leading cause of birth defects. Fetal alcohol syndrome causes babies to be born small and underweight. They can have small eyes and small heads. Other defects can include delayed...
Nutrition during pregnancy not only ensures that your body has what it needs to handle the rigors of supporting a growing fetus but also provides for the nutritional needs of the fetus itself. When you're pregnant you generally need a balanced...
Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant that historically was used as a pain reliever. It can intensify the actions of other CNS depressant drugs, sometimes with fatal effects. Alcohol is generally considered safe or even beneficial to...
Each year, 40,000 children are born with abnormalities resulting from prenatal alcohol exposure. Wine coolers are a type of sweet alcoholic beverage that contain wine, sugar and fruit juice. The alcohol content in these drinks ranges from 11 to 14...
Drug abuse is a major social and medical problem in the United States. According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, or NIDA, 9 million women in the United States are substance abusers. Three million women use prescription drugs illicitly....
A teenage pregnancy carries physical consequences for the mother, and it can also affect the physical development of the unborn baby and his future development. It is possible for a baby born out of a teenage pregnancy to be healthy and...
While many women drink casually in the weeks before they learn they’re pregnant, it’s essential to stop drinking alcohol as soon as you find out you’re expecting. Any alcohol you drink will pass through your placenta and into...
When a pregnant woman drinks alcohol, the alcohol passes through the placenta into the unborn baby's bloodstream. Fetuses cannot break down alcohol as effectively as adults, so alcohol stays in the bloodstream for a long time, potentially causing...
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, alcohol, nicotine, marijuana and cocaine are the most commonly abused substances during pregnancy. Prenatal exposure to any of these four drugs may lead to mental and physical developmental...
Medical authorities agree that drinking an excessive amount of alcohol is not safe for pregnant women because it puts the fetus at risk for fetal alcohol syndrome and other health problems. Whether consuming small amounts of alcohol poses risks...
According to the 2009 National Survey on Drug Use and Health --- abbreviated NSDUH by the U.S. government --- more than 15 percent of pregnant women admit to using drugs or alcohol at some point during their pregnancies. Topping the list of drugs...
The French delicacy cheese fondue involves dipping bread into a little cauldron of hot melted cheese. Most hard and pasteurized cheeses present no safety problems for pregnant women. However, cheese fondue sometimes contains cheeses not suitable...
Consuming alcohol during pregnancy my lead to fetal alcohol syndrome. During pregnancy, alcohol interferes with the delivery of oxygen and nutrition to your babies developing brain, organs and tissues. The defects from alcohol consumed during...
Nutrition during pregnancy is very important for the health of your baby. Learn about a healthy diet for pregnancy in this nutrition video.
