Noida, 9 September (IANS). Every year on 9 September, the ‘International Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Day’ is observed. This date is the ninth day of the ninth month of the year. This day gives the message that not a single drop of alcohol has to be taken for the entire 9 months, during pregnancy.
On this special day, IANS interacted with Dr. Meera Pathak, Senior Medical Officer and Gynecologist of CHC Bhangel, Noida, about the serious effects of alcohol.
Talking to IANS, Dr. Pathak said, “It is not safe to take alcohol during pregnancy, no matter how low the quantity. There is no safe limit of alcohol during pregnancy. Even a sip alcohol can become a serious threat to the child’s health. This is the reason that on 9 September, there is an attempt to spread awareness around the world that women who are pregnant or are planning to be made should stay away from alcohol completely. ”
He said, “When a woman takes alcohol, the alcohol passes through her body directly to the fetus through the placenta. The body of the fetus is still developing and cannot protect itself from any kind of toxic substance, especially alcohol. In such a situation, the child’s body, mind and behavior can have a serious effect. The most dangerous thing is that most pregnancy is done without any scheme. In such a situation, women do not know that they are pregnant and they keep taking social or habitual alcohol like normal days. By the time they find out pregnancy, the fetus is exposed to alcohol and side effects have started. “
Referring to the effects on the fetus due to alcohol, Dr. Pathak further said, “Alcohol can cause many congenital malformations in the baby’s body in the womb. The child may be born prematurely, weight can be less than normal, its growth may slow down, and may also increase the chances of miscarriage. There are also abnormalities in the facial texture, such as thinning upper lip, space between the nose and lips, called filtrum, completely smooth, and the size of the eye is small. All these symptoms are signs of fetal alcohol syndrome. ”
He said, “Not only physical, but mental and practical problems are also found in such children, such as weak memory, low IQ, difficulty in studies, difficulty, hyper-activity, sleep problems, lack of social interaction and a huge lack of confidence. All these problems affect the whole life of the child. There is no cure for this syndrome. The only solution for this is ‘rescue’ and the most effective way of prevention is that women who are planning pregnancy should completely stop alcohol consumption at least three months in advance. This will make the body completely detox and the baby will get a safe environment. As soon as pregnancy is known, distance from alcohol should be made immediately.
Dr. Meera Pathak clearly said, “There is no quantity of alcohol in pregnancy. It is a concoction that there is no difference with some alcohol.
-IANS
PK/ABM
