Your Baby Will Have What You're Having
By Susan L. Jenkins, BRiDGES
If a woman drinks while she is pregnant, her baby is drinking right along with her. Whether it is a wine cooler, a glass of wine or a bottle of beer, any kind or amount of alcohol that a pregnant mother consumes is also being consumed by her unborn baby. Not only is there a risk of birth defects and learning problems associated with drinking during pregnancy, drinking has also been linked to miscarriage.
Drinking during pregnancy increases the baby’s risk of being born with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, or FASD. FASD describes the range of effects that can occur in a boy or girl whose mother drank alcohol during pregnancy. Each year as many as 40,000 babies are born with FASD. FASD includes an array of physical, mental, behavioral and/or learning disabilities with possible lifelong implications for the child and the family. These are all 100% preventable.
BRiDGES, Madison County Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, Inc., is urging women who are pregnant or thinking about becoming pregnant not to use alcohol, tobacco or other drugs. If a pregnant woman you know is having trouble quitting, she can call BRiDGES for confidential assistance at 697-3947. An assessment is available by calling BRiDGES or by visiting the web site at www.bridges-mccasa.org and clicking on Women and Alcohol: A Self-Test. Help is available.
