A popular area of interest during pregnancy is over what you can eat and drink while pregnant. It can be challenging to adjust to pregnancy and change without your favorite food or drink, so clearly, you need to find out if you’re favorite foods and beverages are safe to ingest.
During pregnancy, your body does superhuman things. It builds new organs, almost doubles its blood supply, and grows life faster than you can develop your fingernails.
Pregnancy also begins with side effects and a hormonal roller coaster. Managing that pregnancy glow and bliss in the face of this trip can also be harsh, and it’s necessary to put your feet up and de-stress now and then.
But relaxing with a glass of wine is one option that you should not choose while pregnant. Drinking any alcohol during pregnancy can be extremely harmful to your baby.
Risks of Drinking Wine While Pregnant
The reason that alcohol is not considered safe throughout pregnancy is the risk of fetal alcohol syndrome. Fetal alcohol syndrome happens when the pregnant mother drinks excessive quantities of alcohol.
This can create many congenital disabilities, from physical abnormalities to mental retardation. These results will continue to affect the baby after they are born, and as they grow.
There is no appropriate amount that has been discovered to cause fetal alcohol syndrome, which is why the safest answer to avoid alcohol during pregnancy.
What Is Fetal Alcohol Syndrome?
Every year, up to 40,000 babies are born with a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) in the U.S. The term FASD is used to specify any of many conditions that occur as a result of a mother’s alcohol use during a child is in utero.
While fetal death is the result of drinking while pregnant, fetal alcohol spectrum (FAS) represents the most overt presentation of the FASD spectrum. FAS can occur due to high alcohol consumption during pregnancy.
Those with FAS may have a central nervous system (CNS) issue, abnormal facial features, growth issues, and difficulty with memory, attention span, hearing, learning, or vision.
People with FAS may have these problems, and the effects are irreversible and last a lifetime. However, this condition is 100% preventable if a mother avoids alcohol during pregnancy.
Alcohol's harmful effects
On your baby
Any number or type of alcohol can harm your baby, and their health is too valuable to risk. When you drink while pregnant:
- Alcohol can go in your bloodstream, by the placenta, and to your baby.
- Your baby may take a higher blood concentration than you do their developing body can’t get rid of it as quickly as you can.
- Alcohol may block some of the oxygen and nourishment your baby needs for healthy growth.
- In some circumstances and especially in larger quantities, alcohol can decrease or harm organ growth and make permanent brain damage in your developing baby.
What about the rumors that European women drink wine during their pregnancies, and their kids are okay? The same review discovered that Europe had the most significant overall percentage of babies born with a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.
Some babies with FASDs may seem healthy but have difficulties with:
- body coordination
- behavior
- learning
- study and focus
- understanding the consequences
On your pregnancy
Some problems during pregnancy and birth are connected to alcohol, but may not be classified as stringently alcohol-related birth problems. These involve:
- miscarriage
- slower growth in the womb
- early birth
- low birth weight
On breastfeeding
Drinking red wine while breastfeeding your baby can also lead to difficulties. There may be a link within drinking alcohol and problems like:
- low breastmilk production
- poor sleeping patterns for your baby
- lower infant growth
How to avoid alcohol in pregnancy
It may not be difficult as you think to avoid alcohol entirely during pregnancy, as many women go away the taste of alcohol at the beginning of pregnancy.
Most women do stop consuming alcohol once they know they’re pregnant or plan to become pregnant.
Women who find out they’re pregnant after previously having drunk in early pregnancy they should stop drinking further.
But, they should not worry unnecessarily, as the risks of their baby being affected are low. If you’re worried, talk to your doctor.
