During pregnancy: Hands off alcohol!

Surely a glass of wine during pregnancy can’t hurt? Yes, it can, because alcohol is pure poison for the unborn child! The embryo is exposed to alcohol with every glass, as it passes directly and unchecked through the placenta into the developing body. In fact, the unborn child is exposed to the same alcohol concentration as the mother for up to eight times longer, since the baby’s liver is still immature and cannot break down alcohol. High maternal alcohol consumption can cause, among other things, reduced brain growth, serious physical damage, neurological abnormalities, and mental developmental disorders in the child.

Background

The greatest risk of physical malformations associated with heavy alcohol abuse occurs during the early stages of pregnancy, up to the third month. Maternal alcohol consumption adversely affects cell proliferation and cell division, which can lead to fetal malformations. The brain of the unborn child is particularly at risk. It lags behind in development and is consequently significantly smaller than in normally developed children. Between the 4th and 6th month of pregnancy, maternal alcohol consumption primarily leads to growth disorders; in addition, there is an increased risk of miscarriage as a result of drinking. Between the 7th and 9th months of pregnancy, the fetus typically experiences significant physical growth, which can be severely disrupted by alcohol consumption. Since the fetus’s brain also grows substantially during these months, alcohol exposure can result in developmental disorders—nerve cells in the brain fail to connect with one another or, in the worst cases, may even die.

Although no obvious damage is (yet) detectable in babies who were exposed to only very small amounts of alcohol in the womb immediately after birth, it cannot be ruled out that cognitive impairment may still occur, which might not become apparent until school age. However, the available research on this topic is currently insufficient. Possible long-term effects may include: irritability, restlessness, aggression, poor concentration, forgetfulness, inability to form social relationships, and much more.

A press release issued by the Professional Association of Gynecologists on March 1, 2018, states that 30% of all expectant mothers drink alcohol. The sad reality: According to the Federal Center for Health Education, approximately 10,000 children are born in Germany each year with severe and permanent alcohol-related birth defects. Of these, 3,000 to 4,000 babies are born with the most severe form of maternal alcohol abuse, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). This would be 100% preventable if women did not drink during pregnancy. So, for the sake of your unborn child, please avoid alcohol during pregnancy and opt instead for water, juice spritzers, or non-alcoholic juice cocktails.