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When You Are Pregnant... Drinking Can Hurt Your Baby When
you are pregnant, your baby grows inside you. Everything you eat and drink while
you are pregnant affects your baby. If you drink alcohol,
it can hurt your baby's growth. Your baby may have physical and behavioral problems
that can last for the rest of his or her life. Children born with the most serious
problems caused by alcohol have fetal alcohol syndrome.
Children with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome May: -
Be born small. -
Have problems eating and sleeping. -
Have problems seeing and
hearing. -
Have trouble following directions and learning how to
do simple things. -
Have trouble paying attention and learning in
school. -
Need special teachers and schools. -
Have
trouble getting along with others and controlling their behavior. -
Need medical care all their lives. Here are some questions
you may have about alcohol and drinking while you are pregnant. -
Can I drink alcohol if I am pregnant? No. Do not drink alcohol
when you are pregnant. Why? Because when you drink alcohol, so does your baby.
Think about it. Everything you drink, your baby also drinks. -
Is any kind of alcohol safe to drink during pregnancy? No. Drinking
any kind of alcohol when you are pregnant can hurt your baby. Alcoholic drinks
are beer, wine, wine coolers, liquor, or mixed drinks. A glass of wine, a can
of beer, and a mixed drink all have about the same amount of alcohol. -
What if I drank during my last pregnancy and my baby was fine? Every
pregnancy is different. Drinking alcohol may hurt one baby more than another.
You could have one child that is born healthy and another child that is born with
problems. - Will these problems go away?
No. These problems
will last for a child's whole life. People with severe problems may not be able
to take care of themselves as adults. They may never be able to work. -
What if I am pregnant and have been drinking? If you drank alcohol
before you knew you were pregnant, stop drinking now. You will feel better, and
your baby will have a good chance to be born healthy. If you want to get pregnant,
do not drink alcohol. You may not know you are pregnant right away. Alcohol can
hurt a baby even when you are only 1 or 2 months pregnant. - How
can I stop drinking?
There are many ways to help
yourself stop drinking. You do not have to drink when other people drink. If someone
gives you a drink, it is OK say no. Stay away from people or places that make
you drink. Do not keep alcohol at home. If you cannot stop drinking, GET
HELP. You may have a disease called alcoholism. There are programs
that can help you stop drinking. They are called alcohol treatment
programs. Your doctor or nurse can find a program to help you. Even
if you have been through a treatment program before, try it again. There are programs
just for women. For help and informationYou
can get help from a doctor, nurse, social worker, pastor, or clinics and programs
near you. For confidential information, you can contact: Alcoholics
Anonymous (AA) check your local phone book for listings in your area
Internet address: http://www.aa.org
National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD) 22
Cortlandt Street, Suite 801 New York, NY 10007-3128 Phone: (212) 269–7797;
Fax: (212) 269–7510 HOPELINE: (800) NCA–CALL (24-hour Affiliate
referral) Email: national@ncadd.org
Internet address: http://www.ncadd.org
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
5635 Fishers Lane, MSC 9304 Bethesda, MD 20892-9304 (301) 443–3860;
Fax: (301) 480–1726 Internet address: http://www.niaaa.nih.gov
National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (NOFAS) 900 17th
Street, NW, Suite 910 Washington, DC 20006 (800) 66–NOFAS; Fax:
(202) 466–6456 Internet address: http://www.nofas.org
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
Treatment Facility Locator (800) 662–HELP Internet address:
http://www.findtreatment.samhsa.gov
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