Pregnancy And Baby Care Pregnancy Tips Drinking during Pregnancy

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One major lifestyle change that pregnancy demands is to give up drinking during pregnancy. This is essential for the term of the pregnancy as well as the period of breastfeeding. Some women find it difficult to give up alcohol consumption for such a long period. No amount of alcohol is known to be safe during pregnancy. Nevertheless, it is always better to be safe than sorry and hence, staying away from alcohol throughout pregnancy is highly recommended. Knowing the risks that alcohol consumption poses to a little unborn baby, who is completely dependent on its mother, may help in making this crucial decision. Drinking during pregnancy first trimester can cause a number of deformities in the developing baby, physical as well as mental. The first trimester is the crucial formative stage. The alcohol consumed during this time is passed on to the baby through the placenta and cause damage. Since the baby's organs are still developing, the alcohol remains in the baby's bloodstream for a longer period, resulting in magnified damage. Hence, there are many drinking during pregnancy effects.

• Drinking during pregnancy risks are umpteen. Light alcohol consumption is known to affect the child's learning abilities.
• Emotional and behavioral problems in the child can also be caused by drinking during pregnancy.
• Drinking can also affect the proper formation as well as functioning of various organs, especially the heart.
• Alcohol consumption can also lead to varying levels of mental retardation in babies born to mothers who could not kick the drinking habit.
• Drinking also increases the chances of miscarriage and preterm labor.
  
  Many women who continue drinking during pregnancy - second trimester and drinking during pregnancy - third trimester are known to experience a higher risk of stillbirths. Drinking during pregnancy statistics show that a quarter of the women who drank on a regular basis continued to do so throughout their pregnancy.

The worst effect of alcohol consumption during pregnancy is fetal alcohol syndrome or FAS. The babies born with FAS are generally of a low birth weight as well as shorter than normal. More often than not, they do not grow with a normal stature. In most cases, these children face some level of mental retardation as their brains are abnormally formed and are smaller than normal. They also have typical facial characteristics with small eye slits, thin upper lips and a low nasal bridge. Short attention spans and poor coordination are characteristic of children with fetal alcohol syndrome. Prenatal alcohol exposure, in most cases, causes learning disabilities and their performance at school is usually below average. Hyperactivity, poor memory and poor analytic abilities are also prominent in children exposed to alcohol before birth. Studies show that when these children grow up they are prone to behavioral and psychological problems. They also find it difficult to find stability in life in terms of career as well as family life. Criminal behavior may also be seen in some cases. Deformities related to the heart, kidneys and liver may be seen. At times, the bones, ears and eyes may also be malformed. Spare a thought for your healthy child before you give in to your alcohol temptation. Ask dear hubby to help you out, the support, love and care can make it a lot easier.