Alcohol Rehab and Pregnancy
We’ve talked a lot here recently about alcoholism and, specifically, women and alcoholism and it seems that others, researchers in particular, are thinking about one of the biggest health questions that comes up for women who drink: pregnancy. How much alcohol is too much when you’re going to have a baby? And when is alcohol rehab a necessity?
What The Experts Have to Say About Alcohol and Pregnancy
According to The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia released new alcohol guidelines for pregnant women, stating that ‘no drinking is the safest option.’
Without the facts, however, some women are taking risks that they don’t even realize when they take a drink. To remedy the situation, The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) and the National Collaborating Centre for Women’s and Children’s Health have issued an update on the advice originally published in 2003 that medical practitioners should pass along to pregnant women. Here’s what they say:
* Pregnant women and women planning to become pregnant should avoid drinking alcohol in the first 3 months of pregnancy, because there may be an increased risk of miscarriage.
* Women should not get drunk or binge drink (drinking more than 7.5 UK units of alcohol on a single occasion) while they are pregnant because this can harm their unborn baby.
* All women should be informed about the importance for their own and their baby’s health and of maintaining adequate vitamin D stores during pregnancy and breast feeding. 10mcg per day is recommended.
What To Do if Someone You Love is Pregnant and Drinking
We know that drinking alcohol when you’re pregnant increases the risk of having a miscarriage or stillborn child, restricts the rate of growth in the fetus which ultimately means babies who are born early and with a low birth weight. Worst of all is the possibility of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) which can mean birth defects, and problems that range in severity that affect behavior, mental development and psychological development. To me, this seems like enough to deter the moderate or casual drinker from drinking at all during pregnancy. But for some reason, many women still don’t know the risk they’re taking when they take a drink during pregnancy.
If you know someone who is pregnant and drinking, share these guidelines with them. If they can’t quit drinkng on their own, then alcohol rehab is not only a medical necessity, it is an immediate one. Don’t wait. Contact The Canyon immediately.
For more information about this study and how alcohol affects women who are pregnant, check out Medical News Today.
Tags: alcohol addiction, Alcohol Rehab, alcohol-treatment, pregnancy and alcoholism, women and alcoholism
If you like this post subscribe to the feed or subscribe by Email