Drinking while you're pregnant?
As a pregnant person consumes alcohol, the alcohol travels down the bloodstream, passed the placenta and into the baby. The baby being so young and delicate breaks down the slower than the mom. As a result, the baby will have a higher blood alcohol level than the mom. By having the mom drink, the baby and the mom is getting put in danger of possibly having a miscarriage or stillbirth. Just by having a single drink is raising the risk that the baby will have problems with learning, speech, attention span, etc. One study has shown that an expectant mom who has even one drink a week has better chances to have a baby that later exhibits aggression and delinquent behavior over a non drinking expectant mom. Other research shows that if a mom drinks while pregnant with a girl, the girl baby is more likely to have mental health problems.
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders
FASD describes the possible problems related to alcohol exposure before birth. The most prominent disorder is fetal alcohol syndrome. This condition is characterized by poor growth, abnormal face features, and damage to the central nervous system. Causes of FAS would include binge or frequent drinking. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "fetal exposure to alcohol is one of the main preventable causes of birth defects and developmental problems in this country. More than 10 percent of women in the United States drink during pregnancy, and about 1 in 50 pregnant women binge drink. The babies of all these women are at risk for alcohol-related effects."