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Alcohol Effects on Pregnancy
Alcoholic drinks have become a normal habit at numerous events and celebrations
worldwide, and they have become a part of the modern lifestyle. Alcohol consumption went up
during the pandemic as more people resorted to drinking down their stress, depressions, sorrows
of loved ones dying and their fears of Covid-19. Even though everyone who lived through the
pandemic would attest it was a time beguiled with uncertainty and new norms which was hard to
cope with, nonetheless, research shows that pregnant women who drink alcohol have a high
chance of having a miscarriage, having their baby born prematurely, and having a low-birth-
weight baby. It can also have an impact on the baby after birth. If a mother drinks alcohol while
pregnant, her baby may develop foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), which is a hazardous
condition.
Current findings in 2022 pertaining the consumption of alcohol in women who are
pregnant, found that one in seven are drinking occasionally and if that isn’t bad it also
highlighted that one in twenty of the pregnant women had done binge alcohol consumption
within a month (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). These women are putting their
unborn babies at risk by drinking alcohol. This is because alcohol can harm the developing
baby's brain. Kenneth Jones and David Smith came up with the now popular term of FASD after
discovering abnormalities affecting fetal exposure to alcohol in utero, a pattern of malformations
they named Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (Gadye). The umbilical cord transmits alcohol from the
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maternal circulation to the fetus (March of dimes). Neural crest cells, which typically grow into
face features and numerous brain cells, die prematurely as a result of alcohol consumption
(Gadye). Neural stem cells play an important role in the development of the brain in embryos.
Alcohol consumption slows the creation of these cell lines. Even if neural stem cells are still able
to multiply, alcohol prevents them from migrating to the right side of the brain, further
interfering with brain development (Gadye).
While it may be possible for a woman to produce a healthy baby while consuming
alcohol, alcohol usage by a woman during her pregnancy nearly invariably has a detrimental
influence on the growing baby. It is important now to highlight how alcohol affects the baby
when it is born or when it’s still in the womb. It has been highlighted above how alcohol gets to
the baby through the blood stream and how it disrupts growth of cells of the fetus. Now the next
part is looking at how it affects the baby after birth and the process of delivery. Miscarriage,
baby born dead, preterm birth, and a range of long-term difficulties if the baby survives such as
psychological, academic, and cognitive disabilities, are all possible side effects of drinking while
pregnant (CDC). According to research, drinking prior to conception raises the chance of
miscarriage. They discovered that for every additional drink per week drank by pregnant women
who had five or less drinks per week, the chance of miscarriage increased by six percent
(Sundermann et al). Infants and school-aged toddlers may struggle with reading or learning, as
well as challenges with concentration and focus, frustration tolerance, and social boundaries (The
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry). Teenagers who have been subjected to
alcohol while in the foetus may struggle to experience sadness, anxiety or have learning
disabilities and engage in lewd behavior (Slaughter).

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Occasionally pregnant women can drink excessively but have normal infants. Whilst
other expectants may just drink a small amount of alcohol and have offspring with
serious lifelong issues. Each pregnancy is unique. One infant may be more affected by alcohol
than another. Avoiding consumption of alcohol for the expectant mothers is the only way a
mother can safely protect and reduce the risk of their baby from developing alcohol-related
problems in the future.

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Works Cited
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Alcohol Use During Pregnancy.” Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, 14 Dec. 2021, www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/fasd/alcohol-
use.html.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Data and Statistics.” Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention, 6 Jan. 2022, www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/fasd/data.html.
Gadye, Levi. “What Is Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, and How Does It Affect the Brain?”
BrainFacts.Org, 23 Aug. 2018, www.brainfacts.org/diseases-and-disorders/childhood-
disorders/2018/what-is-fetal-alcohol-syndrome,-and-how-does-it-affect-the-brain-
082318.
March of Dimes. “Alcohol during Pregnancy.” March of Dimes, 23 Apr. 2016,
www.marchofdimes.org/pregnancy/alcohol-during-pregnancy.aspx.
Slaughter, Erica. “Dangers and Effects of Drinking Alcohol While Pregnant.” American
Addiction Centers, 20 May 2022,
americanaddictioncenters.org/alcoholism-treatment/dangers-pregnancy.
Sundermann AC, Zhao S, Young CL, et al. Alcohol Use in Pregnancy and Miscarriage: A
Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2019;43(8):1606-1616.
doi: 10.1111/acer.14124
The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. “Drinking Alcohol in Pregnancy
(Fetal Alcohol Effects).” AACAP.Org, 3 May 2020,
https://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Facts_for_Families/FFF-Guide/
Drinking-Alcohol-in-Pregnancy-Fetal-Alcohol-Effects-093.aspx

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Alcohol Effects on Pregnancy

discovering abnormalities affecting fetal exposure to alcohol in utero, a pattern of malformations

interfering with brain development (Gadye).

disabilities and engage in lewd behavior (Slaughter).

Occasionally pregnant women can drink excessively but have normal infants. Whilst

problems in the future.

Disease Control and Prevention, 14 Dec. 2021, www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/fasd/alcohol-

and Prevention, 6 Jan. 2022, www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/fasd/data.html.

BrainFacts.Org, 23 Aug. 2018, www.brainfacts.org/diseases-and-disorders/childhood-

March of Dimes. “Alcohol during Pregnancy.” March of Dimes, 23 Apr. 2016,

Addiction Centers, 20 May 2022,

Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2019;43(8):1606-1616.

(Fetal Alcohol Effects).” AACAP.Org, 3 May 2020,

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