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Alcohol nowadays seems to be something people can hardly give up to, even among pregnant women. A recent study made by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveals that 1 out of 10 pregnant women living in the U.S. consume alcohol from time to time.
This is not a healthy practice for their children, doctors say, as there could not be established a minimum amount of accepted alcohol for pregnant women, because every fetus is different and it’s all about a matter of genetics. Also, they add that the popular saying according to which it is acceptable for pregnant women to consume small amounts of alcohol is just a myth.
“There is no safe amount we can say, and there is no safe time,” Tatiana Balachova from the University Of Oklahoma College Of Medicine, declares.
When a fetus gets affected by the alcohol his or her mother consumes, the disease is called FASD (fetal alcohol spectrum disorders). Estimations reveal that between 2 and 5% of first grade students have the FASD. This disease brings physical and behavioral problems to children.
The survey included 8,000 pregnant women between 2011 and 2013 also revealed that the most likely to consume alcohol in this period are old mothers and, at the opposite side, young graduates.
Moreover, the statistics reveal that more than half of the women aged between 18 and 40 drink sometimes, while 18% of them are binge drinkers.
However, the statistics my not accurately reflect the number of women who drink while pregnant. During the research, it was observed that, while some women may not be willing to declare the existence of a harmful habit, others may simply not be aware of the fact that they are pregnant. This happens in the first 4 weeks of the pregnancy or even more.
Balachova declares that women who don’t know about the existence of their pregnancy must not be discredited. Instead, they should be given a helping hand and educated, so as they know drinking is harmful for their babies and that they must stop consuming alcohol.
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