Is a glass of wine harmful to the baby in my womb?

Dear Dr Ombeva,

I am six months pregnant. My baby is growing well according to the last ultrasound. My nature of work is very stressful, and a glass of wine has always proved helpful to relieve stress. Is it harmful if I take a glass or two once in a while?

Answer

Thank you for your question. Pregnancy is a delicate time indeed, and every effort should be made to ensure no harm to the baby or expectant mother. One fact is clear about taking alcohol while pregnant: if you are pregnant and take an alcoholic drink, your unborn child takes the same drink.

This is so because all the alcohol goes directly through your bloodstream into the placenta, as the old adage to pregnant moms goes: "If you are having a drink, your baby is too."

Remember that adults are able to tolerate alcohol better, because the adult liver and body organs can break down alcohol adequately and fast. But this is different for the unborn child, whose organs are all developing.

Also, in the unborn child, the alcohol interferes with his ability to get enough oxygen and nourishment for normal cell development in the brain and other body organs. Indeed, many studies have shown that a developing foetus has very little tolerance for alcohol and infants born to mothers who drink during pregnancy can have serious problems.

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Foetal alcohol syndrome refers to a pattern of mental and physical abnormalities which develop in some unborn babies when the mother drinks alcohol during pregnancy. These handicaps include a small body size and low birth weight.

Besides, these babies tend to grow slower than expected with missing fingers or toes. The baby may have joint mobility difficulties, may have a small head or also suffer from vision problems especially near sightedness. Other defects may involve the genitalia, heart, kidney, and brain.

These babies may later develop mental retardation, learning difficulties and hyperactivity during childhood. Remember that these effects are not temporary and can cause a lifetime of physical and emotional pain and disability.

It is advisable therefore that if you are pregnant, stop drinking immediately. Some recent research indicates that women who plan to get pregnant should stop drinking before they even conceive, though the findings have yet to be reproduced.

Dr Ombeva Malande is a paediatrics and child health expert