This is the second article of my 3 article series about Consumptions during pregnancy. The first one was about drugs and pregnancy. Last fall I was driving down a highway and saw an advertisement on the billboard. A child stood there was a drink in his hand. The advertisement said something about it being ridiculous and so don't drink while you're pregnant. This is common sense, I would think, but unfortunately it's not. Apparently there are a handful of mothers who think an occassional drink would not harm them nor their fetus.
According to the March of Dimes website, each year up to 40,000 babies are born with "festal alcohol spectrum disorders" (FASDs). Any consumption of alcohol can effect the baby but not many mothers consider that. Alcohol breaks down slower in a baby's body because they are not fully developed and can cause from moderate to extreme damages to the development of the child. This includes mental retardation, behavioral problems, heart problems and more. Some babies might be even be stillborn because of it.
There is an article on the Discovery webpage starting that it is okay to do some light drinking during your pregnancy. They stated that a couple drinks a week wouldn't harm the child. But their definition of a drink is "a small glass of wine, a half-pint of beer or a single serving of hard alcohol." To be honest most people have a hard time measuring out just a little of something and keeping to it. What will stop a mother from pouring an extra glass or redefining the definition of a drink? If you are pregnant think about making positive decisions for your child.
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