Pregnancy Alert

Researchers from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Canada have warned that consuming alcohol during pregnancy may expose the baby to the risk of 428 distinct diseases linked to Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). FASD is a broad term for various disabilities that occur in individuals as a result of exposure to alcohol before birth.

The study cautions that it is not safe to drink alcohol in any amount during any stage of pregnancy as it affects nearly every system of the body including brain, vision, hearing, cardiac, circulation, digestion and musculoskeletal and respiratory systems. It further states that the severity and symptoms of FASD vary on how much alcohol was consumed when, including stress levels, nutrition and environmental influences.

Researchers examined 1,728 individuals with Foetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), the most severe form of FASD wherein they were able to conduct a series of meta–analysis to establish frequency with 183 FASD diseases. It was revealed that more than 90% of those with FAS had co–occurring problems with conduct whereas eight in ten had communication disorders, seven in ten had developmental disorders and more than half were diagnosed with attention and hyperactivity problems.