Must
know
• No one is really sure what the safe level
of alcohol is during pregnancy. However drinking
more than 15 glasses of wine in a week (or its
equivalent) can reduce baby's birthweight. Drinking
more than 20 glasses of wine in a week or its
equivalent can impair baby's intellectual development.
• Alcohol consumption affects adversely
in that it causes your heart rate and that of
your baby's to drop. This may lead to reduced
circulation and deprive baby of important nutrients
and oxygen.
• Alcohol in early pregnancy is most damaging.
Even a single 'binge' can have profound effect
(binging = 3 or more drinks in one session) during
fetus's most vulnerable stage i.e. in the first
2-3 months of pregnancy.
• Many women do not even realize they are
pregnant during the early stage – several weeks
can go by (crucial period for fetal growth) and
alcohol at this point could harm your developing
baby. Makes sense to avoid alcohol for at least
3 months before trying to conceive.
• Different women have different metabolism.
Some women are not able to break down alcohol
into harmless substances and these harmful forms
in turn crosses the placenta.
• Alcohol during pregnancy may affect child's
attention span, IQ and learning ability.
• Low levels of alcohol may cause baby to
have milder birth defects. FAE or fetal alcohol
exposure can result from very little alcohol bringing
us to the conclusion that there is no safe level
of alcohol consumption during pregnancy.
• Many women indulge in social drinking
while pregnant (the occasional glass of wine with
dinner) and end up having normal babies. Eventually
it is a personal choice and each woman must make
her own decisions about drinking during her pregnancy.
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