Drinking Alcohol During Pregnancy

Drinking Alcohol During Pregnancy
As a fertilized cell begins to divide and grow into an embryo and then into a fetus, some cells are used to build new tissues, and some cells are designed to help and then die once they are not needed. The scientists have found that alcohol increases the number of cells that die, so cells that are actually needed are dying, which is what they think leads to abnormalities.

The incidence of preterm birth was highest amongst women who binged (9.5 per cent) or drank heavily, even if the mother stopped drinking prior to the second trimester (13.6 per cent), compared with less than 6 per cent in women who did not drink during pregnancy. There was a 2.3-fold increased odds of preterm birth in women who drank heavily in early pregnancy but then stopped (CI 0.7, 7.7) after taking into account maternal smoking, drug use, socioeconomic status and maternal health.

Researchers suggest that a possible reason why this occurs is because the cessation of alcohol consumption before the second trimester may trigger a metabolic or inflammatory response resulting in preterm birth. There was no evidence of an increased likelihood of preterm birth at low levels of alcohol consumption.
One major consequence of drinking alcohol during pregnancy is a serious condition called fetal alcohol syndrome,

sight and hearing problems
the need for medical care during the child's life
deformed organs
central nervous system dysfunction
growth retardation in the fetus
facial defects
behavioral problems
eating and sleeping problems in the baby

Alcohol consumption by the mother is a leading cause of preventable birth defects in the fetus. Everything a mother drinks also goes to the fetus. Alcohol is broken down more slowly in the immature body of the fetus than in an adult's body. This can cause the alcohol levels to remain high and stay in the baby's body longer. In addition, the risk of miscarriage and stillbirth increases with alcohol consumption