Healthy Pregnancy: Avoid Alcohol

Alcohol that you drink reaches your baby, because it enters your bloodstream, passes through the placenta and into the baby’s bloodstream. Although it has been argued that a few drinks during pregnancy won’t harm the baby, it is best to remember that the same percentage of alcohol in your larger body will also be in your baby’s much smaller body. It’s a myth that your baby only receives a tiny bit of the alcohol you drink.

Studies have shown that a woman who drinks during pregnancy puts her baby at great risk of developing fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). FASD causes children to have lifelong mental and behavioral problems, retarded growth, heart defects, and facial deformities.

More on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder