Alcoholism and Pregnancy

Alcohol can be a dangerous drug if it is used during pregnancy. It causes vast amounts of organ and tissue damage in an adult’s healthy body; for a pregnant woman, alcohol consumption can be devastating. No amount of alcohol consumption can be considered safe when a woman is pregnant. No type of drink with alcohol is safe, whether it is beer, hard liquor, mixed cocktails, wine coolers, or wine. The consumption of alcohol during nursing is considered dangerous as well. Alcohol consumption during pregnancy is a leading cause of birth defects in America, and “is the only cause of mental retardation that is completely preventable.” (source: Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Standord http://www.lpch.org/DiseaseHealthInfo/HealthLibrary/pregnant/alcohol.htm)

When alcohol enters a woman’s body during pregnancy, it immediately passes through the placenta into the fetus. Alcohol is absorbed into the fetus’s body, which because it is so immature, takes longer to break down. Alcohol stays in the fetus’s system at higher levels than that of an adult drinker.

Because women have more fat and less water in their cells than men, it takes less alcohol to intoxicate a woman. If a woman is pregnant, she runs a great risk of harming the developing fetus. The damages to the fetus’s brain, organs, body structure, and facial features are grouped under the heading of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders.

Women who drink while pregnant also run the risk of miscarriage and premature birth.

“Studies also suggest that drinking during pregnancy may contribute to stillbirth. A 2008 study found that women who binge drink three or more times during the first 16 weeks of pregnancy had a 56 percent greater risk for stillbirth than women that do not drink.” (source: Drinking during pregnancy, htt:p//www.marchofdimes.com/Pregnancy/alcohol_indepth.html)

1 in 12 pregnant women in the United States report alcohol use
1 in 30 pregnant women in the United States reports binge drinking
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders are 100% preventable

(source: CDC, http://www.cdc.gov/features/alcoholfreepregnancy)

If you have been drinking and are pregnant, it is advisable to immediately seek medical attention. You must speak with your healthcare provider for treatment options as it may be dangerous to the mother and fetus to stop drinking on your own without a detoxification process. However, any amount of alcohol can be deleterious to the fetus. Therefore, immediate medical attention should be sought. Regular check ups with your OB/GYN are highly recommended to ensure both your health and the health of your fetus.