Alcohol use in pregnancy

It is well established that consuming alcohol during pregnancy can cause harm to the foetus. A new study finds that drinking alcohol as early as 3-4 weeks into pregnancy, before many women even realise they are expecting may alter gene functioning in the brains of offspring, leading to long term changes in brain structure.
Alcohol consumption during pregnancy has been linked to increased risk of a number of health condition for offspring including growth restriction, poor coordination, speech and language delays, poor memory, poor muscle tone, intellectual and learning disabilities.
However, it is unclear exactly how alcohol exposure during pregnancy impacts fetal development to result in these conditions but past animal studies have suggested that alcohol consumption may influence gene expression in the embryo during early pregnancy by making changes to the epigenome, which regulate the gene function.
The problem with drinking alcohol during pregnancy is that there is no amount that has been proven to be safe. It is difficult to predict the impact of drinking on any pregnancy because some women have higher levels of the enzymes that break down alcohol.
It's such a small amount of a time and the sacrifice is not so great for you and your child.
Stay away from alcohol during pregnancy. It's not the best for your child.