Babies harmed by pregnant drinkers

Despite all of the warnings about birth defects or developmental disabilities caused by drinking alcohol while pregnant, research shows that one in eight women continue to drink throughout their pregnancies, a percentage that hasn't substantially changed in the past 15 years.

Many women continue to drink while pregnant even though it can cause a wide range of physical, mental, behavioral and learning disabilities in children, some of which can have lifelong implications.

The most widely known effect of alcohol consumption during pregnancy is fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), a lifelong condition that includes many physical and mental disabilities, such as abnormal facial features, growth deficiencies and central nervous system problems.

Children with fetal alcohol syndrome can also develop a wide range of secondary conditions that include mental health problems, disruption of education, legal problems, inappropriate sexual behavior, drug and alcohol problems and problems with daily living.

Fetal alcohol syndrome is relatively rare, occurring in only 0.5 to 2.0 times per 1,000 births in the United States. There are other, less severe defects and disabilities, known collectively as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, which can occur approximately three times as often as FAS.

Over the years, research has found that alcohol consumption during pregnancy can affect children on many different levels. Following are some of the specific effects that fetal alcohol exposure can produce.

A study at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine found that children whose mothers drank while they were pregnant recorded lower IQ scores at age 10, compared to children whose mothers did not drink. The effect was seen even when mothers were light to moderate drinkers. This was especially true for African-American children.

Babies whose mothers continue to drink heavily during pregnancy have smaller skulls and brains compared to babies whose mothers did not drink or those who quit when they found out they were pregnant, a University of New Mexico study found. The infants in the study also had smaller cerebellums, the region of the brain involved in mental, motor and sensory tasks.

Many studies have shown that heavy drinking during pregnancy can affect the learning and memory capabilities of children, but another University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine found that this also occurs in children whose mothers were light to moderate drinkers. The study of 580 children from birth to age 16 found that even small amounts of alcohol during pregnancy can have a significant impact on child development.

A Wayne State University study found that fetal alcohol exposure can cause slower processing and attention speeds even in infancy for babies of heavy drinkers during pregnancy. Researchers found when infants cannot maximize learning efficiency it can cause a cumulative deficit over time, resulting in lower IQ scores and difficulties in learning basic functional and academic skills.

When children have other symptoms of fetal alcohol syndrome, they may also have problems with the sharpness of their vision. Children exposed to alcohol in the womb because their mothers were binge drinkers, had a greater risk for poor visual acuity. This was also seen in children of mothers over age 30 who were light to moderate drinkers.

Acute myeloid leukemia is very rare in children, with only 700 cases per year reported in the United States. However, French researchers found in a small study of 21 children who had the disease that the risk of developing myeloid leukemia increased by 56% if the children were exposed to alcohol in the womb.

Two studies have found that teenagers of mothers who drank while they were pregnant are at greater risk for developing alcohol abuse problems themselves because they developed a preference for the taste and smell of alcohol in the womb. Both of the studies were conducted with laboratory rats, but those exposed to alcohol in the womb drank significantly more than those not exposed.

The scientific studies mentioned above and many others have shown that alcohol consumption during pregnancy can have negative effects on children. What none of these studies has determined is how much alcohol it takes to produce those negative outcomes. Therefore, it is currently recommended that women stop drinking completely as soon as they find out they are pregnant or if they are trying to become pregnant.

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If you or a loved one is suffering in Columbia SC with addiction issues or for further assistance with chemical dependence and addiction, please see: Columbia Treatment Centers. Additional addiction questions can be channeled through Columbia’s Alcoholics Anonymous Intergroup office located at:

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