Pregnancy and alcohol consumption do not go hand in hand. Drinking alcohol while pregnant is considered to be a sin-like act, since it is believed to interrupt the proper growth of the baby. At the same time,certain studies have revealed that, drinking alcohol is beneficial  when consumed in minimal quantities, especially during the third month of pregnancy. Let’s check out the facts.

Risks Of Consuming Alcohol In Pregnancy:

• It is a well known scientific fact that the food which is consumed by a mother, would reach the baby in her placenta. This is what which exactly happens in the case of alcohol too.
• Alcohol consumption around two units per day, while pregnant, causes fetal alcohol effects like, attention-deficit, learning problems, hyperactivity etc. in the new-born.
• Pregnant women who consume alcohol more than six units per day, increase the risk of developing fetal alcohol syndrome(FAS) in their new-born babies, who are later affected by mental retardation, behavioral problems and congenital defects.
• When the consumption of alcohol is severe or heavy, then the child becomes very much prone to fetal spectrum disorder, which causes lifelong troubles like learning disorders, facial problems and so on.

Who Says It is Safe?

Debate about the safety levels of alcohol consumption during pregnancy continues to be evergreen. Some British researchers revealed their study results that, the babies’ of the pregnant women who consumed alcohol one two times per week, did not show any marked disorders in their intellectual development. So according to them, minimal doses of alcohol doesn’t cause any harmful effects on new-born baby’s health.

Most of the researchers do not suggest that even occasional drinking is safe during pregnancy, and there are no proven effects on same. So it is always better to not to take chances and so quit alcohol right from the time you are trying to be pregnant.

Tips To Avoid Alcohol:

Quitting alcohol may not be an easy task for the ones who are always addicted to it and so it is better to always go for replacements instead of alcohol to divert attention or keep them occupied. Some of the tips are as follows:

• Try out either a glass of beer or any non-alcoholic beverage while feeling like consuming alcohol.
• Try different mocktails of fruit juices
• Hear good music and read interesting (not thrilling) novels
• Change the timings of pubs and restaurants’ to yoga or meditation classes
• Hang out a longer time with loved ones
• Get help from mid-wives to reduce the amount or frequency of alcohol consumption.
• Once decide to conceive, bring down the quantity of consumption.

Alcohol consumption in pregnant women is not a habit to be encouraged and it is only the individual women’s endeavor which would help in reducing the consumption of the same and thereby giving birth to a healthy baby.

Now, mother-to-be women! You choose one among the two: Alcohol or Baby’s health!!!

Image credit: topnews.net.nz