Alcohol and pregnancy: an underestimated risk taboo

The leading cause of disability in the newborn is alcohol the mother. Professional birth and prevention have decided to tackle this taboo by informing.

"A drug that would cause such a malformation rate would be prohibited, no woman would accept to take. Yet we continue to conduct themselves soft on alcohol. Pregnant women, themselves, measure the danger and harm the environment also pushes for consumption. We need to change attitudes. The question embarrassed everyone, including professionals who formulated to obtain a negative answer, "said Dr. Marie-Therese The Martelot, vice-president of the Perinatal Network of Western Brittany (*). 29 with ANPA (National Association for Prevention of Alcoholism and Addiction) and the Codes Committee (Departmental Health Education), the network decided to take over the world day prevention of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) event to be held tomorrow.

From 25 to 45 children per year

"We do not care enough to the experience of women. Not being able to resist drinking alcohol does not mean you will be a bad mother, but you can talk about for help. It is important to you and her child. " Of the 9,500 to 10,000 annual births in Brittany, the network of perinatal estimated that 25 to 45 children are victims of FAS. "Between seven and eight babies Brittany are diagnosed at birth. For others, the handicaps will prove later. The syndrome is the leading cause of disability, long before the trisomy 21. " FAS can result in growth retardation during pregnancy, physical abnormalities (ten times more malformations in the general population), behavioral disorders or mental retardation.

A bottle of alcohol

"It's not just women who massively. It is unclear what is the toxicity threshold. The tolerance level personnel can also be variable. Alcohol passes easily the placenta. Drink like putting alcohol in the bottle for a baby. The risk of miscarriage is also higher. " The doctor then advised to respect the zero alcohol during pregnancy, whether wine, cider or beer. The logo on the bottles is the first step to get the message. "But this logo is very small, because the alcohol lobby is powerful. Women talk easily of their smoking, but the alcohol is often undervalued. We live in a society where usability is associated with alcohol. "