“Mum's Wine Harms the Baby”

Pregnant women should listen to society's advice, and avoid heavy alcohol use. Developing babies can't metabolise alcohol, and it's even possible to kill a foetus by binge-drinking.

Alcohol is actually a toxin, and when you drink a glass of wine, several enzymes immediately begin to break down the harmful molecule. But in the womb, baby is yet to develop her own anti-booze enzymes. Alcohol enters mum's blood and is carried to the placenta. Because alcohol is a very small molecule, it can't be filtered out. Instead, it passes freely into the amniotic fluid or baby's own blood. The alcohol can accumulate in baby’s blood or in the amniotic fluid for a long periods, and that means the toxic effects of the substance will be amplified.

The embryo's nervous system is particularly vulnerable, because alcohol restricts the nerve cells’ ability to divide and grow. If baby is exposed to very large quantities of alcohol for a long time, she could be born with foetal alcohol syndrome, a condition where the brain does not develop properly.

SHUTTERSTOCK If the mother consumes lots of alcohol early in her pregnancy, it might cause malformed organs.

Long-term alcohol intake could restrict neuron development, so the baby is born with a smaller brain and permanent brain injury. Fewer folds on the surface of the brain. Smaller head Fewer brain cells Flat face

During pregnancy, the embryo's brain develops gradually by neurons dividing, specialising, and finally fine-tuning their mutual links.