Alcohol consumption, if not kept in moderation, can be harmful to a healthy person to the point of having a narcotic effect. It causes various harms, from negatively impacting brain function and increasing cancer risk to causing gastritis, ulcers, and liver damage. So, given its harmful effects on a healthy individual, how safe is alcohol consumption during pregnancy? Alcohol use during pregnancy Does it harm the body?
Is Alcohol Consumption Safe During Pregnancy?
Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is a condition found in babies of mothers who consume alcohol during pregnancy. Alcohol consumption during pregnancy can cause physical abnormalities, intellectual disabilities, learning disabilities, visual impairments, and behavioral problems in the baby. These problems can vary from child to child, but generally, the risk of developing a disorder is high, and these problems are irreversible.
If alcohol is consumed during the first three months of pregnancy and then stopped, the probability of the baby developing FASD (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder) is approximately 12 times higher compared to mothers who do not consume alcohol. Furthermore, if the mother regularly consumes alcohol during the second trimester, the probability of FASD increases 61 times, and if she regularly consumes alcohol throughout her pregnancy, this rate increases 65 times. In short, the risk of a baby developing FASD is 65 times higher for a mother who consumes alcohol throughout her pregnancy compared to a mother who does not consume alcohol at all.
Considering all these details, we can say that there is no safe limit for alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Alcohol consumption during pregnancy always carries a risk for the baby, and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders will not occur if alcohol is not consumed. The only way to prevent these syndromes caused by alcohol consumption is to abstain from all types of alcohol. This risk applies to all alcoholic beverages, such as beer, wine, and raki. If you are a regular drinker, quitting alcohol as soon as you learn you are pregnant will reduce the risk of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. However, to avoid this risk, completely quitting alcohol consumption from the moment you begin trying to conceive is the safest and most appropriate course of action, and your baby will be born healthier without fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.
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