Helped Over 500,000 patients with 98%+ satisfaction.

Connect & Get Personalized 1-to-1 Answers from Expert Doctors

DoctorSpring > Question Home

Query about drinking in pregnancy.

Resolved Question:

I have already asked this question but wanted to add on to it. I found out i was pregnant on 2/9. My last period was 1/8. I actually had an ultrasound on 2/13 that put the pregnancy at 4 weeks 5 days. I drank heavily every day up until I found out i was pregnant. I was given the answer that the drinking would not have harmed the growing fetus. But I just wanted to add that I drank heavily during that time. I stopped drinking on the 9th and haven't had any since that time. My question is...does it matter if the drinking was heavy and daily up until I took the pregnancy test? I neglected to say that I drank heavily.

Thanks,

Category: OBGYN

Ask Your Own Question

Category: Infertility Specialist
 24 Doctors Online

Hello and welcome to Doctor Spring.
Thanks for writing to us with your health concern.
Unfortunately, the effects of heavy maternal alcohol intake in early pregnancy are quite negative.
Fetal brain development starts pretty early, and heavy exposure to alcohol during the early weeks when the pregnancy is not yet detected can result in adverse outcomes - such as poor brain development, behavioral problems etc.
The effects are proportionate to the amount and frequency of alcohol consumption, and binge drinking patterns have the worst impact.
This is the bad news.
The good news is , that once you stop, and abstain from alcohol throughout pregnancy, the effects do not add up.
There is no way to know how much your baby has been affected unless and until he/she is born.
Regular scanning can tell about the structural development of the baby though.
Please go through this article -
http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh25-3/168-174.htm
IT is quite extensive, you can just read the last paragraph on ' conclusions '.
Please take regular Folic acid supplements throughout pregnancy.
Now that you know the risks, all the more reason for you to abstain thoroughly and keep your fingers crossed - not ALL babies are affected.
My prayers and wishes to you.
Take care.


Dr. Aarti Vazirani
Category: Infertility Specialist
Experience: 
Residency: Obstetrics & Gynecolog, BJMC,Civil hospital, Ahmedabad, 2008
Post Graduate: MS (Obstetrics & Gynecology), B.J. Medical College, Ahmedabad, 2008
Medical School: MBBS, B.J. Medical College, Ahmedabad, 2004
Dr. Aarti Vazirani and 4 other Medical Specialists are ready to help you

Users who read this, also read:

Make informed and better medical decisions.

Join the 500,000 people who found a smarter, quicker way to get Answers, Recommendations & Expert Opinions.

Expert Doctors at fingertips

Recommendation on next step. Second-opinion.Multi-specialty.

Save Time

Average time for answers: 6 hours.

Save Money

$35 for typical specialist consult vs. $120 for a local appointment.

Free Follow-ups

Clarify, ask further questions for free in private conversation.

100% Satisfaction

Money back guarantee for the 1st reply. MEDNET Quality Board.

Start My Consultation

CHAT NOW

About DoctorSpring.com

Doctor Spring is a novel online Doctor consultation platform where you can get your medical questions answered by leading Doctors. Just Submit your question and rest assured that you will consult a Doctor easily. Once you submit the question, the Doctor from the concerned specialty will reply within hours. You can always ask more questions or add details with follow-up question options and make it an online doctor chat. You may use this service to consult a specialty or for getting medical second opinion. All paid services come with a MEDNET quality assurance and 100% money back guarantee.

DoctorSpring in news