Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Many pregnant women do not pay enough attention to the consequences of drinking alcohol during pregnancy, particularly those who consider themselves "light" or social drinkers however, just a few drops of alcohol may harm your baby more that you think.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is a term to describe a group of several birth defects directly caused by alcohol consumption during pregnancy that cannot be reversed, but can be prevented if pregnant women avoid drinking alcohol. Babies with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome face different problems both physical and mental.

In fact, a baby with FAS may be small, underweight and mentally retarded, which is a problem carried throughout their life which cause memory, attention and learning problems, besides the facial features that out of the normal such as short eye openings or nose, thin upper lip, or flat cheeks, not to mention problems with personal relationships in their adult life.

Understanding the importance of a well balance diet during pregnancy and the way alcohol works on a pregnant woman, there is no need to face these kinds of problems with your unborn child. Any alcoholic drink, including wine, beers and hard liqueurs get into the woman's blood and will go directly to her baby through the umbilical cord.

Once the alcohol enters into the body of the developing baby, the risk of birth defects is irreversible. Depending on the pregnancy stage, the harm can be less but still present. Alcohol in the early weeks may only cause facial and physical defects and slow down the baby's growth even before giving birth but may also affect the fetus' brain.