Alcohol and The Fetus
Drinking during pregnancy is often thought of as no big deal. However, drinking during pregnancy is a very big deal. An unborn baby’s life is in the hands of the mother. If she decides to drink, she is risking the unborn’s chances of being as smart and healthy as it can be. Drinking during pregnancy opens the doors to a variety of harmful effects on the mother and her unborn baby, and until this is brought out in the open with honesty, it cannot be prevented. There are many stereotypes about the women that drink while they are pregnant. One stereotype believed by professional doctors is that women that are college-educated and wealthy are going to drink less or not at all during pregnancy, and the poorer and uneducated women are going to drink more during pregnancy. However, just as stereotypes usually turn out, the complete opposite is true. Women who receive college degrees are four times more likely to drink during pregnancy than women who only receive a high school diploma. Some statistics show that mothers who go to community and rural health centers to receive care are counseled more than mothers who go to private doctors’ offices. People should not make assumpti
The fetus is not the only one harmed by alcohol consumption during pregnancy, but the mother is as well. In fact, many doctors urge women who think they are pregnant or are trying to get pregnant to stop drinking (“Fetal Alcohol”). “One percent of all mothers consume fourteen or more drinks per week during the three months before pregnancy” (Walsh 3). To the average person one percent is not too large of a proportion. However, the volume of alcohol consumed is high during the time when a woman might be unaware of a new pregnancy (Walsh 3). Women who are trying to get pregnant should become aware that alcohol upsets a woman’s hormonal balance, thus interfering with fertility (How Alcohol). Therefore, “subtle, unnoticed disruptions of the menstrual cycle could make pregnancy unlikely” (How Alcohol). Whether a woman is trying to get pregnant or is not trying but there could be a chance of pregnancy, a woman should refrain from drinking due to unintentional damage. There are not many options when it comes to treatment for fetal alcohol syndrome. “The harm caused in the womb is irreversible and lasts a lifetime” (Walsh 2). Drugs can improve some behavioral problems (Bunch 3:87). Congenital heart defects are diagnosed by electrocardiogram and can be surgically repaired (Bunch 3:87). As for the rest of the defects that come with fetal alcohol syndrome, there is not much hope for improvement. The only way to prevent a child from being born with fetal alcohol syndrome is to not drink during pregnancy. However, counseling pregnant mothers helps as well. Most women know that drinking while pregnant is bad for the baby, yet they are reluctant to admit that what they are doing is harming their baby (Walsh 1). Consequently, “most physicians strongly caution against consuming more than one or two drinks a week and many advise against consuming any alcohol during a pregnancy” (How Alcohol). “Nearly 25% of mothers who drank before pregnancy report that their prenatal care provider did not counsel them about possible effects during pregnancy” (Walsh 3). Even though the doctors that counsel about the drinking habits of the pregnant are usually uncomfortable wit
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Alcohol” Exposure,
Fetus Drinking,
fetal alcohol,
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Approximate Word count = 1477
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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