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 has been proven safe. Due to substance abuse, unplanned pregnancies and misinformation, an estimated 40,000 babies are born each year with a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, or FASD.
FASD
FASD is an umbrella term used for a group of conditions found in individuals exposed to alcohol during their prenatal development. FASD includes fetal alcohol syndrome, or FAS; alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder, or ARND; alcohol-related birth defects, or ARBD; and fetal alcohol effects, or FAE.
Alcohol and Pregnancy
When a pregnant woman drinks alcohol it passes through the mother's blood into the placenta through the umbilical cord. According to the March of Dimes, a fetus's immature body breaks down alcohol much slower than an adult and, as a result, the alcohol level in the baby's blood can be higher and remain elevated longer than the level in the mother's blood. This can cause lifelong damage.
Complications
Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can lead to stillbirth, miscarriage and FASDs. Characteristics of FASDs include abnormal facial features, small head size, shorter than average height, poor coordination, low body weight, hyperactive behavior, poor attention span, poor memory, learning disabilities, speech and language delays, low IQ, intellectual disability, poor reasoning and judgment skills, sleep and sucking problems as a baby, vision or hearing problems and other health conditions such as heart, kidney and bone disorders.
Third Trimester
According to the National institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, alcohol or its metabolic products can interfere with brain development by altering the production or function of natural substances that control orderly brain growth and development. In an animal study published in "Alcohol" in 1986, researchers Pierce and West found that alcohol during the third trimester can result in microencephaly, being born with a small brain.
Treatment
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, FASDs last a lifetime. There is no cure, but early intervention may improve a child's development.
Prevention
The key to preventing FASDs is to avoid alcohol completely during pregnancy and while trying to get pregnant. It is also important to abstain from alcohol if practicing unprotected sex since approximately half of all pregnancies are unplanned.
References
- The March of Dimes: Drinking Alcohol During Pregnancy
- National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: FAQs
- The FASD Center: Frequently Asked Questions About FASD
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Are 100% Preventable
- The Nationall Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism: Fetal Alcohol Exposure and the Brain
