Why is Alcohol Damaging to Unborn Babies?
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Researchers at the Medical College of Georgia Schools of Medicine and Graduate Studies have been studying the mechanism by which alcohol damages unborn babies.
Pregnant women who drink alcohol put their babies at risk of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, FAS. Babies born with FAS have liver abnormalities, facial deformities, and brain and spine problems.
As a fertilized cell begins to divide and grow into an embryo and then into a fetus, some cells are used to build new tissues, and some cells are designed to help and then die once they are not needed. The scientists have found that alcohol increases the number of cells that die, so cells that are actually needed are dying, which is what they think leads to abnormalities.
They found very strong evidence that a couple of glasses of wine drunk in a few hours seriously increases the rate of cell death, and that drinking alcohol in early pregnancy - even before you know you are pregnant - is the most damaging.
The bottom line? As the advice has always been, pregnant women shouldn’t drink alcohol. And, if you are trying to conceive, or just not using any contraception - it’s wisest to avoid alcohol too.
Sorry ladies: I know it’s not fun. I remember feeling as cross as anything watching my ex-husband and his buddies down cold beers one hot afternoon when I was 8 uncomfortable months pregnant, and going without a nice glass of wine while watching a movie was something I really missed. But it’s worth it for your baby, and just think how good that glass of wine is going to taste once you can have it again!
Sheila Joyce Gibbs says...
Excellent article! Both my late husband & I, were born from Mothers who drank. While there were NO problems at birth or through our entire young lives, we picked up the nasty little drinking habit quite well in our late teens. Still, no drunkeness, no binging, no sick days, no hospital visits. We both were well educated & held down extremely well paying jobs,
very active in sports/physical activities. Then in our mid 40’s, we both were hit severely with permanent Grand-Mal Seizures, somewhat related to Epilepsy. According to Physicians, only cause was ALCOHOL. Immediate question was about our birth mothers.
SO, no, please ladies, DON’T drink, as I’ve discovered there are many many people in our society with this same affliction.
Only problem is, most of them are too embarressed to speak of it.
Many of us, including AA, ALANON, MADD are attempting to somehow have our Government make it mandatory for Health Warning Labels on ALL Liquor containers, similar to what’s been done with Cigarettes.
Let’s just hope & pray we’ll get it approved soon!
As our youth seem to be picking up after us, what’s their future going to be like?