According to medical experts, alcohol can cause symptoms foetal alcohol syndrome which is a pattern of physical and mental defects.
When a pregnant woman consumes alcohol, it passes through the placenta area - an organ that connects the developing foetus to the uterine wall which is responsible for waste elimination among other things – and can slow down the foetus' growth and/or weight.
It is said that a lot of mothers to be who consume alcohol run a higher risk of causing a permanent damage to their unborn babies because most of time they are unaware of their pregnancies.
University of Helsinki scientists found that alcohol causes changes in the way genes function in the brain of the foetus. They discovered that these changes are most of the times permanent.
The permanent damage to the genes of the offspring which include hyperactivity, learning disabilities and congenital deformation are mostly caused by alcohol intake in the first six weeks of the pregnancy which is the stage when the foetus is vulnerable to external influence.
"When a woman drinks alcohol during pregnancy, she risks giving birth to a child who will pay the price — in mental and physical deficiencies — for his or her entire life," this according to KidsHealth.
According to KidsHealth, despite some women being aware of this possibility they still continue to consume alcohol during pregnancy.
Here are signs and symptoms of foetal alcohol syndrome:
Low birth weight
Small head circumference
Failure to thrive
Developmental delay
Organ dysfunction
Facial abnormalities, including smaller eye openings, flattened cheekbones, and indistinct Philtrum (an underdeveloped groove between the nose and the upper lip)
Epilepsy
Poor coordination/fine motor skills
Poor socialization skills, such as difficulty building and maintaining friendships and relating to groups
Lack of imagination or curiosity
Learning difficulties, including poor memory, inability to understand concepts such as time and money, poor language comprehension, poor problem-solving skills
Behavioural problems, including hyperactivity, inability to concentrate, social withdrawal, stubbornness, impulsiveness, and anxiety
The dangers of drinking while pregnant
According to medical experts, alcohol can cause symptoms foetal alcohol syndrome which is a pattern of physical and mental defects.
When a pregnant woman consumes alcohol, it passes through the placenta area - an organ that connects the developing foetus to the uterine wall which is responsible for waste elimination among other things – and can slow down the foetus' growth and/or weight.
It is said that a lot of mothers to be who consume alcohol run a higher risk of causing a permanent damage to their unborn babies because most of time they are unaware of their pregnancies.
University of Helsinki scientists found that alcohol causes changes in the way genes function in the brain of the foetus. They discovered that these changes are most of the times permanent.
The permanent damage to the genes of the offspring which include hyperactivity, learning disabilities and congenital deformation are mostly caused by alcohol intake in the first six weeks of the pregnancy which is the stage when the foetus is vulnerable to external influence.
"When a woman drinks alcohol during pregnancy, she risks giving birth to a child who will pay the price — in mental and physical deficiencies — for his or her entire life," this according to KidsHealth.
According to KidsHealth, despite some women being aware of this possibility they still continue to consume alcohol during pregnancy.
Here are signs and symptoms of foetal alcohol syndrome:
Low birth weight
Small head circumference
Failure to thrive
Developmental delay
Organ dysfunction
Facial abnormalities, including smaller eye openings, flattened cheekbones, and indistinct Philtrum (an underdeveloped groove between the nose and the upper lip)
Epilepsy
Poor coordination/fine motor skills
Poor socialization skills, such as difficulty building and maintaining friendships and relating to groups
Lack of imagination or curiosity
Learning difficulties, including poor memory, inability to understand concepts such as time and money, poor language comprehension, poor problem-solving skills
Behavioural problems, including hyperactivity, inability to concentrate, social withdrawal, stubbornness, impulsiveness, and anxiety
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending
Latest Videos