What Are the Effects of Alcohol on Pregnancy

Posted on March 12th, 2009 by monsterguide

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A pregnancy is a momentous event for a family. The thought of bearing a newborn excites everyone as they prepare for the entrance of a new family member. It’s too bad that such a special moment can be ruined by one of society’s favorite habits - drinking alcohol. A consistent dose of beer, red wine, or any alcoholic beverage proves to be harmful for both the pregnant mother and the baby.

Effects of Alcohol on the Baby

Alcohol, when it reaches the placenta, causes disastrous effects for the infant. Some of them will be suffered by the child in his or her lifetime, which makes drinking during pregnancy pretty dangerous. Here are some of alcohol’s adverse effects on infants.

Mental Retardation – Binge drinking while pregnant causes the underdevelopment of the unborn child. As a result, the infant is much smaller than healthy babies and has an undeveloped thought process. He or she may have unstable behavioral patterns, or in some cases, mental retardation. Alcohol’s psychological effects on the baby are lifelong, so you should quit the habit as early as possible.
Physical Deformities – The contents of alcohol can disturb a developing child’s physical framework, leading to deformities at birth. Habitual drinkers have a greater chance of birthing infants with deformed facial features, limbs, or internal organs. Sometimes the deformities are even accompanied by severe mental and behavioral problems.
Premature Birth – Aside from causing deformities, alcoholism happens to be one of the leading causes of premature births. Infants lacking fully-developed organs are not capable of withstanding the toxicity of alcohol. This causes the placenta to be detached at a much earlier rate, which leads to a premature childbirth.
Stillborn – Weaker infants, instead of reaching a premature birth, perish due to the mother’s constant intake of alcohol. With a set of young organs, the child eventually gets poisoned by the alcohol. The rate of having a stillborn is not as high as having a premature birth, but any concerned mother surely won’t settle for either.

Stopping your alcohol addiction, as you can see, is of utmost importance if you’re pregnant. According to medical researchers, a low intake of alcohol can still bear effects on the infant. You must sacrifice some of the finer things in life for the life of your child.

Sources of Pregnant Alcoholism

Alcohol and pregnancy are terms that should never be mixed, or else your child will suffer dire consequences. To eliminate drinking during pregnancy, its sources should be extracted or avoided at all costs.

Teen Drinking and Teen Pregnancies - The effects of alcohol are more prevalent in a teen pregnancy. Some teenagers, despite being parents, are still discovering the wonders leading to adulthood. Naturally, some are too curious or experimental to forgo alcohol. The fact still remains that they are proud parents, so they must act accordingly for the welfare of their children and families.
Red Wine and Health – Red wine, often paired with elegant meals, is often overlooked by many, even pregnant women. As a result, the nightly consumption of the fine drink causes premature births and birth defects. Look at a bottle of red wine closely and you’ll see that its alcohol content surpasses beer, which happens to be a drink prohibited for pregnant women.
Tension and Stress – Many people drink to release tension or stress. Unfortunately, some women retain that practice even when they’re pregnant. A good portion of them even combine cigarette smoking with their drinking. The results are of course dreadful for the infant.

Alcohol is part of the weekly, or even daily, routines of many people. The moment a child is being formed in your womb, you should be responsible enough to give up your bad habits, especially drinking and smoking. Parenthood involves many responsibilities and corking the bottle while you’re pregnant happens to be one of them.

How to Stop Alcoholism

Stopping alcohol dependency is not easy but is pretty manageable. There are a good number of methods to help stop the craving. If all else fails, you can depend on your will power and your love for your child to help you quit the habit, at least while you’re planning to get pregnant.

Gradual Decrease – Some people end up with a new addiction to alcohol after quitting in rather abrupt fashion. Get your body accustomed to the consistent lowering of alcohol intake until you can finally kick the habit.
Join a Rehabilitation Group for Alcoholics – Seeing others recover from their alcohol addiction is an inspiring sight. You will realize that, tempting as drinking another bottle is, recovery is very much possible. The people in the group will also help you with your recovery. They will share their strategies to win the battle against alcoholism.
Keep Yourself Busy and Stay Positive – Idleness and depression are two popular reasons for drinking alcohol. If you engage in a hobby or accept side jobs, you will feel a sense of achievement, which alleviates your general outlook in life. If you learn to see the good side of every situation, you will always stay positive. Alcohol then won’t have a place in your life.

You don’t have to quit drinking forever. Your aim is to merely stop for a year and remove any trace of addiction. If you can do that, you can very well have your own family.