It warns you in which week of pregnancy alcohol can do the most harm: a cocktail can be crucial

There is no safe dose

According to the dean of the Vilnius University Faculty of Medicine, Professor Algirdas Utkus, president of the Lithuanian Society for Human Genetics, a woman should not drink alcohol during pregnancy. “Alcohol belongs to the category of true teratogens, that is, those environmental factors that are very dangerous for a developing embryo. These factors can be many: physical, chemical, biological. Alcohol is a chemical factor that determines the development of the embryo ”, said the professor.

Looking back in history, it must be remembered that humanity has consumed alcohol for more than 2,500 years. It was also used during pregnancy at various times. “We can find information about this in the works of Aristotle, in the Talmud and in the Bible. In the Middle Ages, it was even recommended to drink alcohol during pregnancy. Oddly enough, even now you can hear that this is nothing bad. But after drinking alcohol, in about 30 minutes. easily crosses the placenta and enters the fetus. Interestingly, there may be a situation where the fetal blood alcohol concentration is higher than in a woman. And this is due to several things. First, the liver breaks down the alcohol. Fetal, this system is not yet working properly and is not able to break it down. Another reason why alcohol is present in amniotic fluid. In this case, the fruit is refilled with a dose of alcohol every time it drinks water, ”said the dean.

He stressed that alcohol can interfere with the development of various fetal organs. The most dangerous period during pregnancy is 3 to 10 weeks, when the most important organs are formed. “If alcohol is active at that time, it can interrupt that development. When we talk about VAS, this is the most serious condition of the offense. It is characterized by multiple developmental defects. They are usually defects in the midline of the body. The most sensitive system is the central nervous system. As for her, alcohol is dangerous throughout pregnancy, not just up to 10 weeks. Because brain development goes to the end. Alcohol can disrupt these processes. This means that after birth there can be various intellectual defects, behavioral disorders, disorders of the central nervous system ”, said A. Utkus.

When asked what is the number of alcohol consumption during pregnancy in Lithuania, the teacher emphasized that we are not jumping here in a bad way. “The statistics vary from country to country, ranging from 2 to 70 percent. In Lithuania, in the last months of pregnancy, about 3 percent. Women consumed alcohol, about 0.15 percent. Consumed. This means that one in a thousand children has VAS. If alcohol is consumed in lower doses or alcohol is consumed in the second or third trimester, there may be alterations in the VAS spectrum. When a child is born with VAS, we can see clearly external characteristics: less weight, less head circumference, narrow lips, small facial features, ”said the professor.

According to him, there is a golden rule that Americans have said: zero alcohol, zero risk. “A pregnant woman must give up alcohol completely, but her family and society must help her,” said A. Utkus.

Preventive measures work

Gražina Belian, deputy director of the Department of Drug, Tobacco and Alcohol Control, said that drinking alcohol during pregnancy can have far greater consequences than smoking or other substances. “Not only can alcohol consumption cause physical health problems, it can also determine the quality of life in the future. In Lithuania there is a myth that alcohol consumption during pregnancy is only a woman’s problem. But it is everyone’s responsibility. In terms of damages, it is unfortunate that no investigation has been conducted in Lithuania, but we can rely on the example of Sweden, where the prevalence is similar to that of Lithuania: the VAS was set at 0.1- 0.3 percent children. It would seem small, but these consequences cost the state 1,400 million euros a year, “said the specialist.

According to her, it is very important not to drink alcohol not only during pregnancy or planning, but also after the birth of a baby, when the baby is breastfed. Unfortunately, 80 percent. women who drank alcohol during or before childbirth consume alcohol after and after. “When you breastfeed a baby, alcohol passes into the milk and into the baby. You can sleep worse, eat worse. Fortunately, the situation in Lithuania is improving, research shows that parents are changing, and more people are giving up alcohol. Nonalcoholic parents have been shown to have better relationships with their children. Spend more time with them, give them more praise, ”Belian said.

Data from the investigation carried out by the department shows that the situation in Lithuania is actually improving. In four years, the proportion of parents who do not drink alcohol at all has risen: 21 percent. 2016 up to 26 percent. 2020 Also in 2020. 5 percent fewer parents than in 2016 indicated that they consumed alcohol with their children (72% of all parents in 2016, 67% of all parents in 2020). This shows a growing awareness of parents and responsibility not to drink alcohol with their children.

Good family relationships and parental support are among the most important factors in a child’s successful development, socialization, health, and well-being. Department 2020 The results of the survey showed that non-alcoholic parents value their relationship with their children more favorably than alcoholic parents, giving them more attention and time. A significantly higher proportion of non-alcoholic parents than those who consume it indicated that their relationship with their children is strong and close (77.5% of non-drinkers, 72.5% of drinkers), staying with the children for at least 15 minutes after day. (non-users – 57%, users – 55%), praise their children every day for at least one thing that children do well (non-users – 74%, users – 71%).

And parents who drink alcohol, especially those who drink with their children, were twice as likely to say that they often disagree with and are angry with their children (3% who do not drink, 5% who drink and 7% they never hide). Families of parents who consume alcohol are also more likely to be exposed to childhood psychoactive substances (8% of those who drink and 6% of those who do not).

Mr. Belian emphasized that preventive measures for alcohol use work, therefore it is appreciated that they are appearing more and more in Lithuania. “We have measures on the supply side: a ban on the advertising of alcoholic beverages, an increase in age, a reduction in sales times. Although there has been a fairly strong response to them, today we are seeing a decrease not only in consumption of alcohol but also in the damage it causes. Mental disorders have been reduced by about 20 percent in four years. In the United States, for example, increasing the price of beer by a penny is 16 percent. young pregnancies. And low birth weight newborns fell from 1 to 2 percent. Another interesting study was the Swedish study, which showed that opening new alcohol outlets increases the likelihood of infant mortality and increases the risk of childbirth premature, “said the specialist.

A glass of wine will not solve your problems

Sigita Lesinskienė, Head of the Department of Psychiatry at Vilnius University Medical Faculty, emphasized the importance of taking not only preventive measures, but also forming an appropriate opinion. “Let’s remember how our parents or grandparents drank during the holidays. Usually they drank beer and the woman was not even offered alcohol. Now, if we go through the bars of Vilnius at night, we will see how they hum. It is full of youth, and what fun and beauty of alcohol. After all, the most dangerous period during pregnancy is 3-10 weeks, brain development – 6 weeks. Often a woman at that time does not even know that she is waiting … That is, if a cocktail one night, another, another, what will happen? ”Asked the manager rhetorically.

According to her, people who experience VAS disorders are embarrassed to talk about it. It is difficult for them to live with such a diagnosis. “Young women and girls should not drink alcohol at all. Unfortunately, the alcohol industry is focused on young people. Look, a young woman, even during a wedding, offers to drink. She should drink clean water. She is a future mother. Women have not drunk so much alcohol before, “said S. Lesinskienė.

He said that it was very important to change the public vision. “If the environment shows that it is dangerous and causes many emotional experiences, we would have another result. We have to form the perception that a glass of wine will not solve the problems,” said the interlocutor.