A report by the American Academy of Pediatrics was released this week. It identified prenatal exposure to alcohol as the leading preventable cause of birth defects and cognitive problems later on in life.
"The research suggests that the smartest choice for women who are pregnant is to just abstain from alcohol completely," Dr. Janet Williams, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Texas Health Science Center and co-author of the new report from the AAP, said in a statement, according to a CBS News report.
Over the years, there has been a debate as to whether it was okay for women to drink alcohol, even just a small amount, during their pregnancy. The medical community is not in always in agreement. However, with this report, those debate may cease to exist.
The statement that was published online on Monday in the journal Pediatrics, "there is no safe trimester to drink alcohol" and "all forms of alcohol, such as beer, wine, and liquor pose similar risk."
"What we are finding now is that even small amounts of alcohol can increase the risk of fetal alcohol syndrome. A baby's brain and central nervous system is exquisitely vulnerable to what we call teratogens -- things that can cause damage -- and alcohol is one of them." Dr. Jennifer Wu, an OB-GYN at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York who was not involved in the report, said.
Drinking any type of alcohol during pregnancy may result to the risk of having a baby with growth retardation goes up. It can also add to the risk of the baby having multiple problems such as trouble with hearing and vision, and with the heart, bones and kidneys.
Moreover, mothers who drink will most likely deliver a child that has neurodevelopment issues such as troubles with abstract reasoning, information processing, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
Accordingly, the risk will be 12 times more for women who drink during the first trimester, 61 times for the first and second trimester, and 65 times for all of the trimester compared to a woman who don't.
In connection, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also advise the abstinence from alcohol.
Do you think this will pose a problem on women who loves to drink but would want a child?
