When You Are Pregnant,
Drinking Can Hurt Your BabyWhen you are pregnant, your baby grows inside you. Everything
you eat and drink while you are pregnant affects your baby. If you drink alcohol, it can
hurt your baby's growth. Your baby may have physical and behavioral problems that can last
for the rest of his or her life. Children born with the most serious problems caused by
alcohol have fetal alcohol syndrome.
Children
with Fetal
Alcohol Syndrome May:
• Be
born small.
•
Have problems eating and sleeping.
•
Have problems seeing and hearing.
•
Have trouble following directions and learning how to do simple things.
•
Have trouble paying attention and learning in school.
•
Have trouble getting along with others and controlling their behavior.
•
Need medical care all their lives.
•
Need special teachers and schools.
Here
Are Some Questions You May Have About Alcohol and Drinking While You Are Pregnant.
1. Can I drink
alcohol if I am pregnant?
No. Do
not drink alcohol when you are pregnant. Why? Because when you drink alcohol, so does your
baby. Think about it. Everything you drink, your baby also drinks.
2. Is any kind of
alcohol safe to drink during pregnancy?
No.
Drinking any kind of alcohol when you are pregnant can hurt your baby. Alcoholic drinks
are beer, wine, wine coolers, liquor, or mixed drinks. A glass of wine, a can of beer, and
a mixed drink all have about the same amount of alcohol.
3. What if I drank
during my last pregnancy and my baby was fine?
Every
pregnancy is different. Drinking alcohol may hurt one baby more than another. You could
have one child that is born healthy, and another child that is born with problems.
4. Will these
problems go away?
No. These
problems will last for a child's whole life. People with severe problems may not be able
to take care of themselves as adults. They may never be able to work.
5. What if I am
pregnant and have been drinking?
If you
drank alcohol before you knew you were pregnant, stop drinking now. You will feel better
and your baby will have a good chance to be born healthy. If you want to get pregnant, do
not drink alcohol. You may not know you are pregnant right away. Alcohol can hurt a baby
even when you are only 1 or 2 months pregnant.
6. How can I stop
drinking?
There are
many ways to help yourself stop drinking. You do not have to drink when other people
drink. If someone gives you a drink, it is OK say no. Stay away from people or places that
make you drink. Do not keep alcohol at home.
If you
cannot stop drinking, GET HELP. You may have a disease called alcoholism.
There are programs that can help you stop drinking. They are called alcohol treatment
programs. Your doctor or nurse can find a program to help you. Even if you have been
through a treatment program before, try it again. There are programs just for women.
For
help and information
You can
get help from a doctor, nurse, social worker, pastor, or clinics and programs near you.
For
confidential information, you can contact:
Alcoholics
Anonymous (AA)
check your local phone book for
listings in your area
Internet address: http://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org
National Council on Alcoholism
and Drug Dependence
12 West 21st Street
New York, NY 10010
(800) 622-2255
Internet address: http://www.ncadd.org
National
Institute on Alcohol Abuse
and Alcoholism
6000 Executive Boulevard, Suite 409
Bethesda, MD 20892-7003
(301) 443-3860
Internet address: http://www.niaaa.nih.gov
National
Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
1819 H Street, NW, Suite 750
Washington, DC 20006
(800) 66-NOFAS
Internet address: http://www.nofas.org
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chemical dependency and its toxic impact on family members. Raise your
children to choose to be alcohol and other drugs
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