Drinking while pregnant can damage unborn babies
Most of the vital organs that are formed in an unborn baby develop in a period between 10 and 50 days after becoming pregnant.
But during this crucial early stage when alcohol consumption can adversely affect the development of the unborn baby, many women may not even realise they are expecting.
Consultant Psychiatrist at the Coombe Women’s Hospital Dr Siobhan Barry said the brain and nervous systems forms between 10 and 25 days after conception, while the heart forms between 20-40 days and the limbs between 24-26 days.
There is no clearly agreed safe dose of alcohol for pregnant women and sexually active women need to be aware of this and be cautious in their habits, she said. She stressed that alcohol usage in women has more potential for harm than in men.
Speaking at the Alcohol and the Family conference in Letterkenny, she spoke about a condition called Foetal Alcohol Syndrome where a new born baby shows facial malformations, has neurological abnormalities and has some degree of growth retardation.
However, while incidences of this syndrome are rare, she pointed out that many babies born have some of the features.
Women who are heavy drinkers tend to give births to babies with low birth weights, she said, adding that they also tend to have reduced fertility and are more likely to have miscarriages or premature births.
A recent study revealed that women who drink more than three units of alcohol a day are more than three times more likely to have a miscarriage.
In another study it was claimed that up to 20% of those born with mild mental handicaps are due to maternal alcohol use of more than eight units a day.
There is substantial evidence linking excessive intake of alcohol and damage to the foetus, said Dr Barry.
