Many pregnant women are unsure whether it is okay to have a drink or two occasionally while carrying their child. Here you will get answers on how drinking alcohol affects the child, and what the latest recommendations from the health authorities are.
Is one drink okay?
Studies show that 3 out of 4 women believe that it is okay to consume alcohol during pregnancy, and it has long been said that having a single drink now and then is fine. However, the health authorities' latest recommendation is that both women who are pregnant and women who are considering becoming pregnant should not consume alcohol at all. Alcohol can harm the child at all stages of pregnancy.
Several studies from different countries indicate that even a single drink can harm your child. The risk is small, but it can never be completely ruled out. Based on these types of studies, the health authorities have chosen to try to set a lower limit. No drink is worth risking fetal damage for. They are now trying to change the general perception in the Danish population to one where alcohol consumption during pregnancy is not okay at all.
Now that you also know why, you can help spread the message and take good care of the children of the future.
What happens to the child if we drink?
When we drink alcohol, a certain percentage of alcohol actually enters our bloodstream. The percentage depends on how quickly we drink, how well we absorb the alcohol, and the size of our body. Therefore, it varies how quickly we are affected by our alcohol intake.
When pregnant women drink, the alcohol in their blood is transferred directly to the child via the placenta. It is responsible for transferring nutrients, and in this case also toxins, from the mother's blood to the child. The child thus achieves the same alcohol percentage as the mother.
It is the alcohol percentage in the blood that is dangerous for the child. The child's brain is the most affected by alcohol and can suffer the most damage. The brain develops most in the first trimester and again in the last trimester, and this is where the risk of brain damage is the highest. The damages can vary widely. Some are clearly seen as physiological damage, while others may only become apparent later in life, as psychological damage. All of this can be caused by just one drink too many. Alcohol also increases the risk of miscarriage, premature birth, and stillbirth.
But, are there many pregnant women who drink in Denmark?
Studies show that most women stop drinking or reduce their alcohol consumption when they discover they are pregnant.
Studies also show that one in four pregnant women in their second trimester has consumed alcohol at least once during their pregnancy. They also show that 40 percent of the respondents have consumed more than 5 drinks at least once since becoming pregnant. This is where it starts to become really dangerous. These women, who are normally not in any special risk group, are now exposing their future children to a significant risk of brain damage, often without being fully aware of it.
It is very important to emphasize here, again, that even one drink can be too much, and in this context, also that you cannot save up. It does not reduce the risk in any way to abstain for most of the pregnancy and then just have a proper drink once.
Most women in Denmark have a normal alcohol consumption that is enough to harm the baby during pregnancy. If you are trying to get pregnant, you should therefore stop drinking completely to avoid harming the baby before you realize that you are pregnant.
Links: The Health Authority's recommendations:
