How will my alcoholism effect my unborn baby?

Mom or Dad?: Alcohol intake during pregnancy has direct effect on the baby, modified by the babies genes, but no level of alcohol consumption has been found totaly safe.A drop in IQ by 20-50 points, impaired nerves, odd facial appearance, heart defects, and many other issues including hyperactivity.Male alcoholics probably get a bit of a pass, bad swimmers are less likely to conceive & the exposure is not ongoing.

Severely: Children born to mothers who drank alcohol during their pregancy are born with develpmental disorders ranging from mild to severe. Such conditions include mental retardation, learning disorders and disorders involving social development. Physical changes and certain anatomic malformations also occur in children born to mothers who drank. Even as little as one drink per day causes fetal damage.

To some degree it: Depends on the amount & duration of alcoholism, your health, the resiliency of your fetus & the post-conceptional age when you stopped. Read about fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, of which FAS is the most severe, on clhttp://www.Fascenter.Samhsa.Gov/stay clean & sober from now on. Enroll your baby in your state health division's early intervention program upon discharge from the hospital.

Get help: If you are an alcoholic and are pregnant, get help now!! Talk to your doctor who can help you safely detox and provide support for ongoing care. Alcoholics Anonymous is a great resource once you are sober.