2023 Author: Anita Thornton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-22 03:30
There is no research to determine a minimum threshold of completely safe alcohol consumption on baby development. The best policy therefore remains zero tolerance!
Alcohol is a toxic substance that passes quickly from a mother's blood to her baby's. As the fetus is in full development, it is really vulnerable to the exposure of any toxic product. There may not be evidence yet that just one drink once in a while can harm baby, but it's still recommended to completely avoid alcohol consumption during pregnancy.
Risks during pregnancy
The more a future mother consumes alcohol during her pregnancy, the more she increases the risk of developing major problems with her pregnancy. These risks are:
- Making a miscarriage
- Having a spontaneous abortion
- Premature delivery
- The death in utero.
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
The baby is exposed to alcohol ingested by the mother and since alcohol is toxic, the physical and mental development of the baby is directly affected. When a baby is born with problems caused by the mother's alcohol consumption, he is diagnosed with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS).
A child with this syndrome will have:
- Facial and skeletal malformations;
- Stunting, both in weight and height;
- A mild or more serious intellectual disability;
- Social difficulties.
Even if a child who was exposed to alcohol during pregnancy is not diagnosed with fetal alcohol syndrome, he or she may suffer from one or more physical, intellectual or behavioral sequelae.
How to avoid alcohol consumption during pregnancy
- Find other ways to relax and reduce your stress level: listening to soft music, meditation, reading, taking walks, etc.
- Read our article Mocktail Recipes for lots of ways to serve classics you love…but without the alcohol!
- Ask for help and support from your loved ones to keep you motivated and remember all the good reasons for your choice.
- Speak with your doctor or other he althcare professional so they can support you on your journey.
