Drinking during pregnancy endangers the baby in multiple ways. The risks of miscarriage and stillbirth are high, and a little as one drink a day can raise the odds of having a baby with a low birth weight, and raise the child's risk of problems with learning, speech, attention span, language, and hyperactivity.
40 Percent Of Women In The UK Drink Alcohol During Pregnancy
A lot of women in the UK and Ireland may need to be educated about the bad effects of drinking while pregnant. A study published in the Lancet Global Health medical journal, ranked countries according to the estimated prevalence of alcohol use during pregnancy, and found that women in the UK and Ireland are among the world's worst for drinking during pregnancy, The Irish News reported.
The study claimed that 40 percent of women in the UK drink alcohol during their pregnancy, with Ireland topping the list of of the five worst offenders, which also featured Denmark and Belarus. According to Telegraph, a lot of women binge-drink in the first few months because they do not realize they are expecting.
Britain Has One Of The Highest Rates Of Children Born With FAS
Britain has one of the highest rates of Foetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) in the world, with an estimated 61.3 cases per 10,000 births - significantly higher that the global average of 15 out of 10,000 and the 44th worst in Europe. What's notable is that all the countries within the top five fell within the World Health Organisation's European Region.
Researchers aim to "fill these knowledge gaps" on the pregnancy drinking, and estimated that 10 percent of women in the general population consume alcohol during pregnancy and one in 67 women delivered a child with FAS. "Further efforts should also be made to better educate women of childbearing age about the risks of alcohol use, especially binge and frequent drinking, during pregnancy," the study said.
