Drinking alcohol during pregnancy is one of the major causes of mental retardation in the United States. No one knows for sure what a "safe" amount is and if this "safe" amount would be for everyone. People handle alcohol in different ways.
If you had alcohol before you knew you were pregnant, chances are your baby will be fine. However women who consciously drink while pregnant are causing great harm to their unborn child.
When a pregnant woman drinks alcohol, it quickly reaches the placenta and the fetus. If you drink one glass of wine, beer or a shot of whiskey, your unborn child is drinking the same amount of alcohol. Do not believe the myth that your unborn child is only getting a small portion of what you are drinking.
Alcohol is measured in the blood and is called blood alcohol content. The fetus will have the same blood alcohol content as the mother. For a fetus who is a lot smaller than the mother, this could be a dangerous and toxic amount.
Small amounts of alcohol on a daily basis can cause low birth weight. In later years, the child may have a learning disability.
FAS occurs when a pregnant woman drinks increased amounts of alcohol during pregnancy. The increased amount that causes the fetus to have FAS may be different for each woman. Some resources have sited that approximately 4-6 alcoholic beverages a day cause FAS to occur. However, this may be a totally different amount for a smaller woman or a larger woman.
The characteristics of a child born with FAS are:
- Shorter in length
- Weigh less than average
- May have smaller heads
- May have facial deformities
- May have heart defects
- May be mentally retarded
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