Ask A Scientist© Zoology Archive

name       Mary
status     student
age        20s

Question - How is alcohol metabolised during pregnancy?


To my knowledge It is metabolized as in other stages of a woman's life it is
broken down largely in the liver by alcohol dehydrogenase and fed into
intermediary metabolism as a two carbon group source of energy much like the
break-down products of sugars. The danger is that some alcohol is certain
to spill over into the bloodstream and make its way to across the
placenta...if too much alcohol is taken by the mother for it to be quickly
and fully metabolized by the mothers liver then the fetus is exposed to the
deleterious effects of ethanol.

pf
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The research at this writing is clear.  We do not know what effect the alcohol has on
the fetus or embryo.  How the developing organism is effected chemically is a total
mystery.  Many doctors recommend not to have any alcohol, especailly in the earlier stages.
Other doctors claim that small amounts is not going to have an effect.  In reality, no one 
knows!
 
Steve Sample
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