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Alcohol in Early Pregnancy May Prompt Fetal Cell Death

You love the buzz and the swirling rich taste of a Cabernet Sauvignon post dinner, or maybe a sparkling wine or champagne on special occasions or weekends. A bubbly for every occasion is your motto. However, skip that glass if you are toasting your recent pregnancy news. A recent study published in the medical journal reports that even a glass of wine can raise the risk of harming your unborn child causing physical and mental deformation. Not good enough a reason to celebrate with alcohol, is it?

Clearly, we all know how abusing alcohol, pregnant or not, is definitely inadvisable. However, during pregnancy, and especially during the first trimester, even that occasional swig can be a dangerous gamble to take.

Alcohol or wine can be a great mood enhancer when you are feeling blue. The buzz and the high remains for some hours after you’ve had a glass or two. Therefore, there may be a tendency for young mothers to think that a glass of wine would do no harm and may even help uplift the grumpiness, thanks to morning sickness. But what you do need to know is that in the first trimester of your pregnancy, the baby is still developing and growing. The brain cells are not fully formed and are still in the process of transformation. This means the brain connections are severely distorted.

Since alcohol can easily surpass the barrier put up by the placenta, and neither the womb nor the growing baby has any special way of eliminating this toxic substance, the longer it stays in your system and does more damage. A more severe scenario in which the mother consumes alcohol throughout the pregnancy is termed as Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). Moreover, in the initial stages of a pregnancy, you may not be even aware that you are carrying.

Control Alcohol in Early Pregnancy

Drinking once in a while may not be such a huge issue. However, if you are trying for a baby, refrain from alcohol altogether. There is no question of how much is too much. It is extremely important for you as well as for your baby’s health that you ditch your bohemian, care-free lifestyle for something healthier before deciding to get pregnant. As an experiment prior to getting pregnant, try for a month adopting a healthy lifestyle and see the advantages for yourself.

Remember prevention is the key. A little bit of caution can prevent a lifetime of misery for both you and the baby.

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