Any Amount of Alcohol Is Bad During Pregnancy

There are already lots of mixed messages and suggestions when it comes to women drinking during pregnancy. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) had earlier said that a couple of glasses of wine was perfectly okay for women who were pregnant.

Well, it seems that the guidelines have changed and according to a report by BBC, those women who are in the first three months of pregnancy or are trying to have a baby should say no to alcohol strictly. The only way to be sure that your baby is not going to get harmed in any way is by staying away from alcohol.

Earlier women were told that they could have one or two units a week, but now, the new guidelines tell them to abstain from the drink completely as Express reports. According to the researchers there cannot be a proven safe amount that women can take during pregnancy and the only way to be sure and ensure complete safety for the baby is to not to drink at all and even when breastfeeding. Meanwhile, one raises the chances of miscarriage if drinking around conception or during the first three months of pregnancy, as the alcohol can pass through the placenta and affect the unborn baby.

TheGuardian states that the alcohol that can enter the bloodstream of the unborn baby can affect the baby, especially the development of its brain and how it grows in the womb. It can further lead to foetal growth restriction and raise the risks of stillbirth and premature labor. There can be severe disorders like the foetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), thus leading the child to have physical and mental incapacities. So, the only way to be 100% sure is to say no to alcohol.