Resolved question:
I have already asked this question but wanted to add on to it. I found out i was pregnant on 2/9. My last period was 1/8. I actually had an ultrasound on 2/13 that put the pregnancy at 4 weeks 5 days. I drank heavily every day up until I found out i was pregnant. I was given the answer that the drinking would not have harmed the growing fetus. But I just wanted to add that I drank heavily during that time. I stopped drinking on the 9th and haven't had any since that time. My question is...does it matter if the drinking was heavy and daily up until I took the pregnancy test? I neglected to say that I drank heavily.
Thanks,
Submitted:
4 Days
Category:
OBGYN
Hello and welcome to Doctor Spring.
Thanks for writing to us with your health concern.
Unfortunately, the effects of heavy maternal alcohol intake in early pregnancy are quite negative.
Fetal brain development starts pretty early, and heavy exposure to alcohol during the early weeks when the pregnancy is not yet detected can result in adverse outcomes - such as poor brain development, behavioral problems etc.
The effects are proportionate to the amount and frequency of alcohol consumption, and binge drinking patterns have the worst impact.
This is the bad news.
The good news is , that once you stop, and abstain from alcohol throughout pregnancy, the effects do not add up.
There is no way to know how much your baby has been affected unless and until he/she is born.
Regular scanning can tell about the structural development of the baby though.
Please go through this article -
http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh25-3/168-174.htm
IT is quite extensive, you can just read the last paragraph on ' conclusions '.
Please take regular Folic acid supplements throughout pregnancy.
Now that you know the risks, all the more reason for you to abstain thoroughly and keep your fingers crossed - not ALL babies are affected.
My prayers and wishes to you.
Take care.