The life of a fetus is dependent on that of the mother. A pregnant woman’s lifestyle, therefore, affects the life of the developing baby inside of her. When a woman is exposed to alcohol when she is pregnant the fetus stands to suffer from emotional, physical and even mental damage. It is proven fact that all that goes into the stomach of a pregnant woman reaches the fetus and it is what helps the fetus grow and develop. There are a few lucky cases of babies who are born without any defects even when their mothers engaged in alcohol consumption when they were pregnant. For a number of reasons, it is the fetus that is put at risk when the mother takes alcohol. It is, therefore, an unnecessary risk for a woman to drink while she's pregnant because it is not known how much pregnant women can drink without damaging the fetus.
Alcohol use during pregnancy affects the growth and development of fetal bones and other internal organs especially the brain. When a fetus is growing inside of the mother, they need adequate blood supply from the mother to them. But when the mother is intoxicated, the toxic substances found in alcohol cause her blood vessels to constrict and this will hinder a good blood flow from the mother to the fetus (Soby 2006). Oxygen and other nutrients that are necessary for growth and development may not reach the fetus and hence it will be underdeveloped.
As little as a little drink a day can cause irreparable harm to the baby in terms of causing the fetus Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. This is a condition that occurs when a fetus is exposed to alcohol, and it goes on to affect their mental states. Babies who are born with this condition suffer permanent symptoms such as mental incapability, and this can affect their general wellbeing for the rest of their lives (Abel 1998). The best way to go about preventing this condition is not taking alcohol at all when a woman is pregnant.
The effects that alcohol has on unborn babies vary from one baby to the next. Infants who are born with the effects of prenatal exposure show different symptoms that are not normal. Some children will show slow growth or developmental delay, neurological disorders and even social problems (Soby 2006). It is not surprising to find a child who cannot relate well with others leave alone making friends, most of the time school- aged children who had prenatal exposure may exhibit problems in learning and difficulty in reading. It is clear that the effects of alcohol consumption may last the rest of the life of a child.
When these children reach teenage years they may show characters that are not normal of other children. Many are the times when teenagers whose mothers had exposed them to alcohol before birth. Difficulty in learning and concentration is a major issue aside from suffering from depression, anxiety and inappropriate sexual behaviors (Soby 2006). It is understood that teenagers will innocently engage in vices not because they want to, but because they are born with conditions that make it easy for them to fall prey of uncommon tendencies not befitting their age.
Alcohol consumption by pregnant women is wrong because they will end up negatively affecting the lives of the children they will bring forth. Exposure to alcohol affects the fetus and the problems that will arise will be long term. Once the damage is done it can never be corrected, and it is for this reason that pregnant women should avoid alcohol for the good of their unborn children. It is not known what amount is good for them, and if this will bring their children problems they ought to avoid alcohol like a bad plague.
References
Abel, E. L. (1998). Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. New York: Plenum Press
Soby, J. M (2006). Prenatal Exposure to Drugs/Alcohol: Characteristics and Educational Implications of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Cocaine/ Polydrug Effects. Springfield: Charles Thomas
