Thanks Surgeon General for Urging Pregnant Women to Abstain from Alcohol
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., FEB. 21, 2005 -- The serious birth defects caused by drinking alcohol during pregnancy cannot be cured, but are preventable -- in fact, these are the most common type of preventable birth defects, the March of Dimes said today.
The organization's comments came as U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Richard H. Carmona held a news conference urging pregnant women to abstain from alcohol use during pregnancy order to eliminate the chance of giving birth to a baby with any of the harmful effects of the fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. This updated a 1981 Surgeon General's Advisory that suggested that pregnant women limit the amount of alcohol they drink.
"The March of Dimes thanks Dr. Carmona for keeping a high profile on this issue," said Nancy S. Green, M.D., medical director of the March of Dimes. "For many years now we've said there is no 'safe' level of alcohol use for pregnant women. The best advice for every woman who is pregnant or planning a pregnancy is not to drink alcoholic beverages at all and to abstain from drinking throughout pregnancy."
Alcohol use in pregnancy is a major cause of serious physical and mental birth defects, some of which may be not apparent at birth, and also increases the risk of stillbirth and miscarriage, the March of Dimes says. Each year, up to 40,000 babies are born with some degree of alcohol-related damage. Between 1,000 and 6,000 babies are born with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). Their organs, especially the heart, may not form properly. Most babies with FAS also have smaller brains and some degree of mental retardation.
About three times the number of babies born with FAS are born with a lesser degree of alcohol-related damage known as fetal alcohol effect (FAE), a condition characterized by some, but not all, of the birth defects associated with FAS, including intellectual impairment, learning disorders, and long-term behavior problems.
The effects of drinking during pregnancy can last a lifetime, the March of Dimes says. Many adolescents and adults with FAS have severe psychological and behavioral problems and are unable to hold down a job and live independently.
Because there currently is no way to predict which babies will be damaged by alcohol, the March of Dimes recommends that women stop drinking immediately if they even suspect they are pregnant. Heavy drinkers should avoid pregnancy until they believe they can abstain from alcohol entirely while pregnant.
