Dr Dulcy on booze and pregnancy
FOETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME: NO AMOUNT PROVEN TO BE SAFE IN GESTATION PERIOD It causes a myraid of irreversible and damaging effects on babies in the womb.
There is no amount of alcohol consumption that’s known to be safe during pregnancy. If you drink during pregnancy, you put your baby at risk of foetal alcohol syndrome, a condition in a child that results from alcohol exposure in the womb.
The syndrome causes brain damage and growth problems. The problems caused by foetal alcohol syndrome vary from child to child but defects caused are not treatable or reversible.
If you suspect your child has foetal alcohol syndrome, talk to your doctor as soon as possible.
Early diagnosis may help to reduce problems, such as learning difficulties and behavioural issues.
If you’re pregnant and can’t stop drinking, ask your obstetrician, primary care doctor or mental health professional for help.
Because early diagnosis may help reduce the risk of long-term problems for children with foetal alcohol syndrome, let your child’s doctor know if you drank alcohol while you were pregnant.
Don’t wait for problems to arise before seeking help. However, if your child has difficulties with learning and behaviour, talk with his or her doctor so that the underlying cause might be identified.
The more you drink while pregnant, the greater the risk to your unborn baby. However, any amount of alcohol puts your baby at risk.
Your baby’s brain, heart and blood vessels begin to develop in the early weeks of pregnancy, possibly before you know you’re pregnant.
Impairment of facial features, the heart and other organs, including the bones and central nervous system, may occur as a result of drinking alcohol during the first trimester.
That’s when these parts of the foetus are in key stages of development.
However, the risk is present at any time during pregnancy.
SYMPTOMS
The signs and symptoms of foetal alcohol syndrome may include any mix of physical defects, intellectual or cognitive disabilities, and problems functioning and coping with daily life.
Physical defects:
Facial abnormalities, including small eyes, an exceptionally thin upper lip, a short, upturned nose, and a smooth skin surface between the nose and upper lip
Deformities of joints, limbs and fingers.
Slow physical growth before and after birth.
Vision difficulties or hearing problems.
Small head circumference and brain size.
Heart defects and problems with kidneys and bones.
Brain and central nervous system problems:
Poor coordination or balance.
Intellectual disability, learning disorders and delayed development.
Poor memory.
Trouble with attention and processing information.
Difficulty with reasoning and problem-solving.
Difficulty identifying consequences of choices.
Poor judgment skills.
Jitteriness or hyperactivity.
Rapidly changing moods.
Social and behavioural issues.
Problems with interaction and functioning in society:
Difficulty in school. Trouble getting along with others and poor social skills.
Trouble adapting to change or switching from one task to another.
Problems with behaviour and impulse control and poor concept of time.
Problems staying on task and planning or working towards a goal.
CAUSES
Alcohol enters your bloodstream and reaches your developing foetus by crossing the placenta.
Alcohol causes higher blood alcohol concentrations in your developing baby than in your body because a foetus metabolises alcohol slower than an adult does.
Alcohol interferes with the delivery of oxygen and nutrition to your developing baby. Exposure to alcohol before birth can harm the development of tissues and organs and cause permanent brain damage in your baby.
RISK FACTORS
The more alcohol you drink during pregnancy, the greater the chance of problems in your baby. There’s no known safe level of alcohol consumption during pregnancy. You could put your baby at risk even before you realise you’re pregnant.
Don’t drink alcohol if:
You’re pregnant or might be pregnant.
You’re trying to get pregnant.
COMPLICATIONS
Secondary disabilities from foetal alcohol syndrome may include:
Attention deficit/hyperactivity.
Aggression, inappropriate conduct, breaking rules and laws.
Alcohol or drug misuse.
Mental health disorders.
Problems staying in school.
Problems with independent living and with employment.
Inappropriate sexual behaviour.
Early death by accident, homicide or suicide.