Education and awareness by the expecting Mom as well as those around her are
essential in understanding the dangers and consequences of Fetal Alcohol
Effects.
BOTH expecting parents need to know the dangers which can plague an unborn
child by drinking during pregnancy.
Physical, cognitive, and social deficits associated with FAS:
- Low birth weight
- Failure to thrive (eat and grow well)
- An exaggerated startle response
- Poor wake and sleep patterns
- Hyperactivity, distractibility and attention deficits
- Impulsiveness
- Temper tantrums
- Lying and stealing are common behaviors
- Poor social skills
- Poor abstracting abilities
This information is NOT to scare you – but to inform you of the ill effects of
abusing alcohol when one is pregnant. It is unlikely that the occasional taken
before realizing pregnancy will harm the fetus.
The fetal brain and other organs begin developing around the third week of
pregnancy, however, and are vulnerable to damage in these early weeks. Because
no amount of alcohol is proven safe, drinking should stop immediately if you
suspect you could be pregnant and if attempting to become pregnant, abstain
completely.
If you are planning on nursing after your baby is born, be advised that small
amounts of alcohol do get into breast milk and are passed on to the baby. The
March Of Dimes reports that the breastfed babies of women who had one or more
drinks a day were a little slower in acquiring motor skills (such as crawling
and walking) than babies who had not been exposed to alcohol. Large amounts of
alcohol also may interfere with ejection of milk from the breast. For these
reasons, the March of Dimes recommends that women abstain from alcohol while
they are nursing.
Please discuss all aspects of alcohol and the its effects on your pregnancy
with your doctor or midwife.
if you have any questions or comments!