Pregnancy and Alcohol - Are we Hypocrites?
Pregnancy and alcohol do not go hand in hand.
There has been numerous medical studies proving the deleterious effects of alcohol consumption during pregnancy.
Yet, many people minimize the evidence and keep taking generous amounts of alcohol during pregnancy thus exposing the unborn fetus to its dangerous effects.
What do we know exactly about alcohol and pregnancy? The fetal alcoholic syndrome is a well described phenomenon where the baby who has been exposed to repeated and sometimes important amount of alcohol during the pregnancy is born with severe and permanent malformations.
Such problems are a general growth retardation, a particular face pattern, an under development of its brain and a generalized developmental retardation which can never be compensated during life even with the proper support.
The official medical recommendation is to consume no alcohol at all during the entire pregnancy to avoid any problem related to alcohol as it can easily pass through the placenta and reach the baby.
In such conditions, we can sincerely question ourselves as a society as to whether we are being hypocrites when it comes to alcohol intake during pregnancy.
Hence, although we know without any doubt that alcohol can harm the unborn baby and passes through the placenta, we often see pregnant women being socially pressured to consume alcohol.
On the other hand, society as a whole and parents in particular have a strong reaction when they find out their angel children have been consuming alcohol at age 15, 14 or even 12.
It can be ironic to see that alcohol intake in young people is strongly condemned by that the fact that many women during their pregnancy are exposing their unborn babies to alcohol seams to be more tolerated.
How can we help pregnant women in our entourage to limit or even stop their alcohol consumption during pregnancy? The first and most important step is to be supportive of their desire not to take any alcoholic beverages during their pregnancy.
Another important step is not to insist and suggest natural and healthy alternative beverages that will satisfy their thirst and will not make them feel as if they are not part of the party anymore.
There are many alcohol-free drinks like beer and wine that can be a healthy substitute and will protect the unborn child from being exposed to alcohol.
The most important thing is to be consistent in our way of living.
It is logical to avoid alcohol intake during pregnancy if we would not want our teenagers or even younger children consuming alcohol in any manner.
There has been numerous medical studies proving the deleterious effects of alcohol consumption during pregnancy.
Yet, many people minimize the evidence and keep taking generous amounts of alcohol during pregnancy thus exposing the unborn fetus to its dangerous effects.
What do we know exactly about alcohol and pregnancy? The fetal alcoholic syndrome is a well described phenomenon where the baby who has been exposed to repeated and sometimes important amount of alcohol during the pregnancy is born with severe and permanent malformations.
Such problems are a general growth retardation, a particular face pattern, an under development of its brain and a generalized developmental retardation which can never be compensated during life even with the proper support.
The official medical recommendation is to consume no alcohol at all during the entire pregnancy to avoid any problem related to alcohol as it can easily pass through the placenta and reach the baby.
In such conditions, we can sincerely question ourselves as a society as to whether we are being hypocrites when it comes to alcohol intake during pregnancy.
Hence, although we know without any doubt that alcohol can harm the unborn baby and passes through the placenta, we often see pregnant women being socially pressured to consume alcohol.
On the other hand, society as a whole and parents in particular have a strong reaction when they find out their angel children have been consuming alcohol at age 15, 14 or even 12.
It can be ironic to see that alcohol intake in young people is strongly condemned by that the fact that many women during their pregnancy are exposing their unborn babies to alcohol seams to be more tolerated.
How can we help pregnant women in our entourage to limit or even stop their alcohol consumption during pregnancy? The first and most important step is to be supportive of their desire not to take any alcoholic beverages during their pregnancy.
Another important step is not to insist and suggest natural and healthy alternative beverages that will satisfy their thirst and will not make them feel as if they are not part of the party anymore.
There are many alcohol-free drinks like beer and wine that can be a healthy substitute and will protect the unborn child from being exposed to alcohol.
The most important thing is to be consistent in our way of living.
It is logical to avoid alcohol intake during pregnancy if we would not want our teenagers or even younger children consuming alcohol in any manner.