According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), millions of women could be putting their developing babies at risk because of their drinking habits.
In the US, an estimated 3.3 million women who drink are sexually active but not on birth control, according to a CDC report. This meant that the possibility of unknowingly causing harm to their developing baby is a lot higher due to their unchanging drinking habits.
The CDC warns that consuming alcohol during pregnancy can lead to fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), which encompass a range of behavioural, intellectual and physical disabilities.
Are you willing to take the risk?
It was reported that there is no known amount of alcohol that’s safe to consume while pregnant. Even with a planned pregnancy, most women won’t know they are pregnant for the first month or so, when they might still be drinking. The risk is real — so why take the chance?
Similarly, the American Academy of Pediatrics says that no amount of alcohol is safe to consume at any point during a pregnancy.
The organisation noted that the odds of a child developing FASD increase by 12 times when a mother drinks during the first trimester, compared to not drinking at all.
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Studies also show that there is increased risk of infant growth retardation even when a pregnant woman’s consumption was limited to 1 alcoholic beverage a day.
A pregnant woman who drinks alcohol passes it along to her baby, who doesn’t develop a liver until later stages of the pregnancy. This means the baby cannot effectively eliminate the alcohol in his or her system.
Having small amounts of alcohol might still be a problem
Although the occasional drink or two are often deemed harmless, the CDC warns that the risks could be too high, especially given that most women don’t know they are pregnant until they are four to six weeks along.
The agency advised that women should stop drinking when they stop using birth control.
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Apart from that if you’re using a mouthwash, you’ll also ingest small amounts of alcohol just from it. If you’re pregnant, bad breath is going to be a problem due to hormones. It’s best if you get a non-alcoholic mouthwash to keep your breath fresh!
What are your thoughts on women who drink? Should they still stick to their habits? Comment down below!
News Source: Washington Post