Alcohol poisoning during pregnancy

What can be a more important event in a woman's life than a pregnancy? This is the period when an absolutely new life is laid and formed within nine months. The period of the mystery and miracle. However, this does not prevent some future mothers from consuming alcoholic beverages. Many people do it simply out of habit, others drink, because alcohol dependence is already present. It's no secret that drinking alcohol during pregnancy can have a detrimental effect on the development of the unborn child, not to mention alcohol poisoning.

Getting into the body of a pregnant woman, it is unhindered and very quickly falls into the placenta, then into the blood of the baby and, of course, into the amniotic fluid, swallowing which the child receives a huge degree of intoxication with alcohol. As if the child's body did not resist the effects of ethanol, it is often useless, since the child is still too small and its protection systems are weak and not well developed.

General information

Accepted alcohol during pregnancy can be divided into two types of its effect on the future child - toxic and teratogenic. The most terrible and, unfortunately, irreversible impact is precisely the teratogenic effect( with the Greek "teratos" - monster), which leads to congenital malformations of the fetus. Fenal alcohol syndrome( FAS) - this is the name of the effect of ethanol, which causes alcoholic syndrome in the fetus. Often the occurrence of this syndrome is facilitated by both alcohol consumption in the early stages of pregnancy, and in its critical periods. FAS has many forms of negative impact on the baby's body, both physical and mental. Especially widespread consequences of influence on the child is the presence of his underdeveloped lower jaw, shortened lower lip, underdevelopment of the brain or its separate parts, manifested in behavior or in mental abilities. Also, many internal organs are subjected to harmful effects.
When alcohol is poisoned, the fetus experiences oxygen starvation, which causes the brain, kidneys, heart, and sex glands to be particularly affected. Further, ethanol causes constriction of the vessels of the utero-placental bed, which in turn causes the formation of thrombi in the vessels and, accordingly, makes it difficult or completely blocks the supply of the baby with oxygen and all the necessary nutrients. The worst thing is that alcohol poisoning during pregnancy with severe intoxication can lead to an intrauterine death of a child.
As evidenced by medical data, all the consequences of FAS are irreversible and can often occur only a few years after birth. And if a drinking mother has a healthy child at first sight, it means absolutely nothing, and most likely the consequences of drinking alcohol will be visible in the near future.
Of course, 100 grams of beer drunk during pregnancy will not have such an impact, but the amount drunk daily can well lead to terrible consequences. Indeed, FAS syndrome occurs precisely in the early stages of pregnancy, when a woman, using alcohol, believes that the child is still very small and absolutely drunk does not work for him.
We should not forget that in principle there is no safe dose of alcohol for pregnant women, since the use, or rather the body's reaction to ethanol, is strictly individual. And if for one pregnant woman this can pass without a trace, then for another it can have the most deplorable consequences.
Often during pregnancy, a woman has an uncontrollable desire to drink at least a sip of beer or wine, it will not be terrible if you once or twice during the entire pregnancy period allow yourself such a weakness, but no more.
Remember that pregnancy is not only a long-awaited event, but also a huge responsibility, both for the life and health of the unborn child. And on your way of life will depend on his further well-being and adequate existence in society.