There are multiple effects of alcohol on pregnant women. It is common knowledge in today’s society that smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol should be stopped once you become pregnant. The biggest effects of alcohol on pregnant women are that it can be very harmful to the baby, effecting size and weight and may even cause lifelong health conditions. Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can cause dangers such as:
- Miscarriage
- Preterm Birth
- Stillbirth
The effects of alcohol on pregnant women are numerous but one of the biggest dangers is a health condition that can develop called fetal alcohol spectrum disorder or fetal alcohol syndrome. Fetal alcohol syndrome can seriously harm the development of a baby during pregnancy, both mentally and physically although the effects of alcohol on pregnant women can last throughout a child’s lifetime.
The effects of alcohol on pregnant women are more dangerous because when they drink alcohol, so does the baby. The same amount of alcohol that is in their blood is also in the baby’s blood. When a woman drinks alcohol while pregnant the alcohol in their blood quickly passes through the placenta and to their baby through the umbilical cord.
Adult bodies are made to handle alcohol a lot better than that of a developing fetus and then later an infant. Developing bodies can be damaged from toxic substances such as alcohol. Adult bodies are able to manage alcohol in their blood a baby’s body cannot. A woman’s liver can break down the alcohol in her blood at one drink per hour – a baby cannot. The effects of alcohol on pregnant women are that their baby’s liver is too small to break down the alcohol the same way they can. This is why drinking any amount of alcohol while pregnant is so dangerous. This inability of the baby’s liver to break down alcohol can lead the baby to have serious health conditions and serious complications throughout the pregnancy and even after. It is being shown that the effects of alcohol on pregnant women last much longer than just pre-birth.
The effects of alcohol on pregnant women are numerous but one of the biggest dangers is a health condition that can develop called fetal alcohol spectrum disorder or fetal alcohol syndrome. Fetal alcohol syndrome can seriously harm the development of a baby during pregnancy, both mentally and physically. The effects of alcohol on pregnant women are:
- Birth defects
- Vision or hearing problems
- Born Premature
- Low birth weight
- Learning disabilities
- Speech and language delays
- Behavioral problems
- Growth deficiency
Of course the biggest and most serious effect of alcohol in pregnant women is to lose the baby entirely. The effects of alcohol on pregnant women can cause permanent harm to their baby.
A woman who drinks quite a bit while pregnant could have a totally healthy baby while a woman who drank only a little ended up having a baby with birth defects or complications. The effects of alcohol on pregnant women are that drinking alcohol affects all them differently. No woman knows if a little or a lot will hurt their baby.
The best way to make sure there are no complications or dangers is to not drink at all while pregnant. Risking the effects of alcohol on pregnant women are not worth it. So as soon as a woman knows she is pregnant it is best to stop drinking all together. Even having an occasional drink before knowing they are pregnant can still affect the fetus. Baby making is serious business and any women who’s at risk of becoming pregnant should be cautious of how much alcohol they consume.