Drinking alcohol during pregnancy poses a severe danger, not only to the mother but for future generations. It is kind of scary is it not?
Alcohol consumption during pregnancy is not recommended by health professionals. They say alcohol impacts brain cells. Throughout the pregnancy, the brain cells of the baby keep on growing. It may have an impact on the tender growing a brain of the baby.
Research study
Researchers from Binghamton University did an experiment on rats. The rats were given one glass of wine for up to four days. Then the offspring was tested for water or alcohol consumption.
The researchers found that in rats when the mother drinks one glass alcohol four times during pregnancy. Her children and grandchildren up to the third generation, show increased alcohol preference and less sensitivity to alcohol.
This study shows the transgenerational effect of alcohol for generations to come. This study is the first of its kind. The consumption of alcohol even in small amounts affects the generations that were not directly exposed to the uterus during the pregnancy.
According to WebMD alcohol can pass from mother’s blood to the baby’s blood. It can cause damage to the baby’s brain and spinal cord cells. The other effects of alcohol include distinctive facial features, growth problems, learning and behavior problems, conduct disorders and birth defects. These kids may have problems with bonding or feeding.
What to do if you have a drinking problem?
If you have this problem and you are pregnant, you can talk openly to your doctor about this. The earlier the better. Your baby can get the best possible treatment to reach his or her full potential in life. Your doctor could guide you in this matter. However, there is no treatment to reverse the impact of alcohol on your baby as well as no treatment to make the effects less severe.
