Drinking alcohol during the first trimester of pregnancy is very common as most women only know they are pregnant once they miss their period or through pregnancy kits. The moment women know they are pregnant and realized they had taken alcohol, they usually panic. It is normal reaction for a pregnant woman to panic because of the detrimental effects of alcohol on a developing fetus. Here are some of the things one should remember after finding out that they are pregnant:
- Pregnant women should immediately stop taking in alcohol of any forms.Further alcohol intake can cause accumulation of alcohol inside the developing embryo. Alcohol can stay longer inside the baby’s placenta and body compared to the mother’s body.
- A pregnant woman should immediately consult her physician. Regular prenatal checkups and ultrasounds are necessary to check the development of the fetus.
- A pregnant woman should follow her doctor’s advice, which usually includes taking in prenatal vitamins and supplements. These are important to help correct and minimize any damages done caused by alcohol intake.
- Hope for the best. Panicking would not do any good to the mother and the baby.Panicking will only cause depression and even anxiety attack that can again affect the development of the baby. There are a lot of cases where women who drank alcohol prior to knowing that they are pregnant that have normal babies.
Effects Of Drinking Alcohol During Early Pregnancy
The first few weeks of pregnancy are a very delicate stage for the fetus; as all the major systems (circulatory, respiratory, skeletal, digestive, nervous system, etc.) start to develop as early as this stage. Limb buds also start to develop during the first few weeks of pregnancy. Although there are women who have normal babies even if they drank alcohol but alcohol consumption can always be dangerous for a developing fetus. Alcohol is a teratogen that can affect the development of a fetus.
Here are some possible effects of alcohol on a developing baby:
- Poor coordination.
- Irritability and other mood disorders.
- Learning disabilities.
- Brain defects.
- Urinary tract defects.
- Kidney abnormalities.
- Heart murmurs.
- Deformities of genital organs.
- Deformed ears and hearing problems.
- Cleft palate.
- Impaired vision such as near sightedness, lazy eye syndrome and even blindness.
- Facial abnormalities such as small eyes, smooth philtrum, thin upper lip, upturned noses, and small, flat cheeks.
- Limb and joint damage.
- Low birth rate.
- Miscarriage.
- Stillbirth.
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