| The dangers of consuming alcohol whilst pregnant | | | | children are born with missing fingers or toes. |
| have only really become fully understood in recent | | | | Another problem is the effect this syndrome has |
| years. When the pregnant woman drinks alcohol, it | | | | on the organs. Children born with fetal alcohol |
| enters the bloodstream and reduces the ability of | | | | syndrome are prone to heart defects, kidney |
| the blood in the placenta to provide adequate | | | | problems, and can even suffer from genital |
| oxygen to the growing fetus. The infant is born | | | | malformation. |
| suffering from the same problems as an alcoholic | | | | Fetal alcohol syndrome is relatively rare and takes |
| and is therefore subject to withdrawal symptoms | | | | place only in the children of mothers who are |
| from the moment he or she is born. These | | | | alcoholic or at least drink regularly and heavily |
| symptoms include irritability, sleeplessness, and | | | | during pregnancy. |
| poor appetite. | | | | Approximately one third of children born to |
| Around twenty percent of infants born with fetal | | | | mothers who are alcoholic or who drink heavily |
| alcohol syndrome will die shortly after birth. Those | | | | during pregnancy are likely to suffer from fetal |
| that live will have a lifetime of intellectual disability | | | | alcohol syndrome. It is even possible for a child to |
| to a varying degree as well as physical disabilities. | | | | be born with this syndrome when the mother has |
| The consequences of fetal alcohol syndrome | | | | drunk only a small amount of alcohol but has done |
| include deformities and impeded development, | | | | so on a regular basis. |
| though there are doubtless other consequences | | | | Sometimes a child may not suffer from the |
| to this condition as well. It is actually a series of | | | | entire range of problems associated with fetal |
| defects, the most serious characteristic being a | | | | alcohol syndrome but the alcohol can still cause a |
| group of deformities of the head. Children born | | | | child to be born with development problems which |
| with fetal alcohol syndrome are also likely to | | | | have taken place whilst in the uterus. There is |
| suffer from delayed growth and development. | | | | some debate about how much alcohol is safe |
| The main problem with growth in an affected child | | | | during pregnancy but it is believed that even small |
| is that of deficiency which results in the child being | | | | amounts, in the first trimester, can be harmful. |
| small and underweight. | | | | Obviously, the best way to avoid this problem is |
| There are also facial abnormalities such as small | | | | to avoid all alcohol during pregnancy. It is still |
| eyes, sagging eyelids, small jaw, defects in ear | | | | possible to enjoy social occasions without |
| formation, and sometimes a hole in the roof of | | | | consuming alcohol and putting your unborn baby |
| the mouth. | | | | at risk. There are many non-alcoholic wines and |
| Skeletal underdevelopment results in deformities in | | | | so forth available these days and this is a much |
| the ribs and chest bone, dislocated hips, curvature | | | | safer option. |
| of the spine, and a small head. Sometimes, these | | | | |