Drinking alcohol before realizing you’re Pregnant? These are the dangers.
It happens that perhaps you forget to take your birth control. Or you mistakenly have unprotected sex and fall pregnant and you continue with life as usual; the regular outings, the regular glass of wine during dinner or you know you are pregnant but go ahead and toast to the bride and groom anyway because you think “a glass won’t hurt the baby.”
Whatever the case, you’re now worried and want to know what damage, if any, drinking alcohol while pregnant.
Women should not drink alcohol during pregnancy or if they are trying to get pregnant to avoid the risk of Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.
Alcohol use during pregnancy is a leading cause worldwide of preventable birth defects and developmental disabilities in children and affects at least 3 million of the South African population.
According to The Association for Alcohol Responsibility and Education aware.org, FASD is a life-long condition. There are a number of physical signs, which include growth stunting and a smaller than normal head circumference, as well as organ damage. In some individuals, there might also be facial features, but the majority of people with FASD have no or very few physical signs.
Alcohol easily passes through the placenta which is the organ of the body that sustains a baby during pregnancy. The developing cells of the fetus (unborn baby) can be damaged due to the harmful effects of alcohol, leading to severe defects that are not curable. The foetus is at risk during the entire pregnancy period. Since the brain starts developing soon after conception, the brain is especially vulnerable, leading to permanent brain damage. As most pregnancies in South Africa are unplanned, women often continue to use alcohol without realising that they are pregnant.
Symptoms include pre-term birth, low birth weight, neurological problems, behavioral problems that show up later in childhood, certain abnormal facial features (thin upper lip, small eyes, missing vertical crease between the nose and lips), Delayed development, Hyperactivity, Attention problems, Difficulty in understanding cause and effect of behaviour, Impulse control challenges which might lead to e.g. impulsive behaviour, Interpersonal relationship problems, and cognitive difficulties.
Make sure you attend prenatal classes, have regular checks with your gynecologist, and get medical advice.
Sources: aware.org, https://www.cdc.gov
Bongi Sikelo 