| What should a responsible parent do to ensure her | | | | considered the critical period for alcohol to have the |
| baby's good development while pregnant? | | | | most damaging effect including increasing risk of FAS |
| Alcohol can interfere with the development of the | | | | or Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. |
| baby as early as pre-conception and conception and | | | | Also, during this first trimester period, the nervous |
| especially in the first three months of pregnancy | | | | system develops (in the first eight weeks) making |
| where the chances of miscarriage are most high. | | | | the most damaging results in this period if the mother |
| Alcohol can also affect the growing baby's | | | | is drinking alcohol. Although damage to the brain may |
| development throughout the duration of the | | | | occur in the last trimester as well, vulnerability to the |
| pregnancy so it is important that the mother is | | | | brain is highest at 15 - 25 days. There are also two |
| informed about these effects. | | | | periods of rapid brain growth in the 3rd month and |
| When alcohol is consumed while pregnant, it goes into | | | | from the 6th month to birth which can have huge |
| the bloodstream, passes through the placenta that | | | | impact on the growing fetus if a mother is drinking. |
| nurtures the baby and impedes the supply of oxygen | | | | It is best for both mother and child to avoid alcohol |
| into the brain and to other organs which is important | | | | especially in the first trimester and throughout the |
| for his or her development in this vital first trimester | | | | duration of the pregnancy to have the healthiest |
| period. | | | | baby possible. If the mother is finding it hard to stop |
| Each trimester of the pregnancy marks a stage of | | | | drinking while pregnant, then it is important for her to |
| fetal development. In the embryonic stage, the third | | | | reach out for help and for those around her to |
| post conception week of human pregnancy is | | | | encourage this also. |