Drinking Alcohol when Pregnant Leads to Deformities in Babies

According to a study done by researchers at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, pregnant women who binge in early pregnancy increase their chances of having a baby born with a cleft palate or cleft lip.
The study indicates that women who drink more than five drinks at one particular time more than three times during the first trimester were three times more likely to have a baby born with a cleft palate or cleft lip.
The first trimester of pregnancy is when a baby’s facial development happens.
Lisa A. DeRoo, Ph.D., an epidemiologist at NIEHS. said “Prenatal exposure to alcohol, especially excessive amounts at one time, can adversely affect the fetus and may increase the risk of infant clefts.”

Because so little is known about why babies are born with cleft issues, this study does shed some light on the matter.  It reinforces, too, the fact that women should not drink when pregnant.

Drinking heavily during pregnancy also increases the chances of a baby being born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.  FAS is a condition that may lead to problems with learning, memory, attention span, vision or hearing.  Problems in school can lead to a child having difficulty getting along with peers.  It is a permanent condition that is lifelong and affects all those in the family.

If a woman does not drink alcohol while pregnant, her child will not be born with fetal alcohol syndrome and her chances of having a child with a cleft palate or cleft lip is less likely.