Are the consequences of drinking during pregnancy influenced by when the pregnant woman consumes alcohol, i.e., which trimester?
The adverse effects of alcohol on a fetus can occur in every trimester. When a mother drinks alcohol so does her fetus because alcohol crosses the placenta freely. The pattern and timing of prenatal alcohol use can greatly influence these adverse effects. Chronic drinking and binge drinking are recognized as the most dangerous patterns of drinking. The pattern of drinking will partly determine the effects of alcohol on a fetus during the first weeks of pregnancy. Again, there is no “safe” dose of alcohol in pregnancy and there does not appear to be a “safe” period of pregnancy for drinking. In general, though, abnormal facial features, organs, bones, etc., occur as a result of drinking during the first trimester; and decreased fetal growth is associated with drinking during the third trimester. The brain, on the other hand, is developing throughout all trimesters, so it can be affected throughout pregnancy.
The adverse effects of alcohol on an unborn fetus can occur in every trimester. When a mother drinks alcohol so does her fetus because alcohol crosses the placenta freely. Again, there is no “safe” dose of alcohol in pregnancy and there does not appear to be a “safe” period of pregnancy for drinking. In general, though, abnormal facial features, organs, bones, etc., occur as a result of drinking during the first trimester; and decreased fetal growth is associated with drinking during the third trimester. The brain, on the other hand, is developing throughout all trimesters, so it can be affected throughout pregnancy.
The adverse effects of alcohol on an unborn fetus can occur in every trimester. When a mother drinks alcohol so does her fetus because alcohol crosses the placenta freely. Again, there is no “safe” dose of alcohol in pregnancy and there does not appear to be a “safe” period of pregnancy for drinking. In general, though, abnormal facial features, organs, bones, etc., occur as a result of drinking during the first trimester; and decreased fetal growth is associated with drinking during the third trimester. The brain, on the other hand, is developing throughout all trimesters, so it can be affected throughout pregnancy. What are the effects of alcohol on a fetus during the very first weeks– before a woman would know that she was pregnant? The pattern and timing of prenatal alcohol use can greatly influence the impact of adverse effects on the fetus. Chronic drinking and binge drinking are recognized as the most dangerous patterns of drinking. The pattern of drinking will partly determine
