Even though medical professionals have issued strong warnings against drinking alcohol during pregnancy, a new survey reveals that a surprising number of women admit to consuming alcohol while expecting.
The research was conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Good Morning America reports. It concluded that 1 in 9 women reported drinking while pregnant. To be specific, 20% of respondents said they drank alcohol during the first trimester. In many cases, the respondents were unaware they were expecting upon consuming alcohol during the first few months of pregnancy. This was compared to only 4.7% of respondents who admitted drinking in the second and third trimesters.
The CDC added that it expects these rates may be higher in reality, as people tend to underreport the number of drinks they consume. The study recommends that women of childbearing age who may be at risk of conceiving – whether intentionally or accidentally – should try to limit their alcohol consumption in the chance of pregnancy, as drinking while expecting greatly increases the chance of fetal birth defects.
A similar study that was recently conducted at Vanderbilt University tracked the habits of women both before and during pregnancy, which concluded that even a small amount of alcohol could have disastrous consequences. Specifically, even a slight amount of alcohol increased the risk of miscarriage in the first trimester by 37% percent. “Women who had an average of less than one drink per week over the course of a month were still at elevated risk, which floored me,” Dr. Katherine Hartmann, a lead researcher on the study, explained of the results.
Hartmann similarly says a major problem lies in women not realizing they’re pregnant when they consume alcohol. She says a solution to combating the problem would be to make pregnancy tests more affordable. She also recommends increased education pertaining to family planning and sexual health.
The CDC does not recommend drinking during pregnancy, ever, so it’s never an acceptable idea to consume alcohol when expecting. “There is no known safe amount of alcohol use during pregnancy or while trying to get pregnant,” the CDC explains. “There is also no safe time during pregnancy to drink. All types of alcohol are equally harmful, including all wines and beer.”
Drinking during pregnancy can lead to Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder (FASD), which can lead to a range of physical and behaviour problems. Side-effects may include but are not limited to:
- Speech and language delays
- Low body or birth weight
- Small head size
- Poor memory and coordination
- Difficulty with memory,
- Vision, hearing, and intellectual problems
- Organ problems (ie. heart, kidney)
- Hyperactive behaviour
- Difficulty sleeping as a baby
If you believe there’s a chance you could be pregnant, it’s recommended to take a pregnancy test to be on the safe side before consuming alcohol.
Source: Good Morning America, CDC