The Effects of Tobacco and Alcohol During Pregnancy

Drinking alcohol is harmful during pregnancy. Alcohol crosses the placenta to the baby. It can accumulate in the fluid that surrounds the baby. If a mother drinks alcohol while she is pregnant she increases the babies risk of birth defects. Alcohol can prevent a baby's body, heart and brain from developing correctly. Alcohol also causes problems with bleeding, miscarriage, stillbirth and premature birth. A major problem that can occur if a mother consumes alcohol while pregnant is fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). This may cause abnormal facial features, delays in developing, developmental disabilities or heart problems. Babies can be born with some or all of the problems caused by FAS. …