What effect does alcohol have on fetus?

A woman who drinks alcohol while she is pregnant may harm her developing
baby(fetus). Alcohol can pass from the mother’s blood into the baby’s blood. It can
damage and affect the growth of the baby’s cells. Brain and spinal cord cells are most
likely to have damage.

The term "fetal alcohol spectrum disorder" (FASD) describes the range of alcohol effects
on a child. The problems range from mild to severe. Alcohol can cause a child to have
physical or mental problems that may last all of his or her life.

The effects of alcohol can include:

• Odd facial features. A child may have a small head, flat face, and narrow eye
openings. It may be hard to pick out one trait. But in general, a child's head and
face just don't look right. This gets more obvious by age 2 or 3.
• Growth problems. Children who were exposed to alcohol before they were born
may be smaller than other children of the same age.
• Learning and behavior problems.
• Birth Defects. Problems can occur that involve parts of the body such as the eyes,
ears, heart, bones, or urinary tract.

Heavy alcohol use during pregnancy can also lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, or a baby
being born early. The effects that alcohol has on a developing baby depend on:

• How much, how often, and at what stage of pregnancy the mother drinks alcohol.
The worst effects often are related to heavy alcohol use (5 or more drinks on at
least one occasion).
• Whether the mother used other drugs, smoked, or had poor health for any reason
while she was pregnant. In these cases, the child is more likely to have problems.
• Traits passed down through families. Some babies are more likely to be harmed
by alcohol than others. It’s not clear why, but there may be a genetic link.
Effects of Nicotine on a Fetus
There are several side effects your baby can face if you expose him to nicotine during
the pregnancy. These side effects include brain function, weight, size, lungs and
developmental complications.

Brain function: Just a couple of smokes a day can have a lifetime effect on your
developing baby's brain. Children exposed to smoking may have low IQs, learning
disabilities and behavioral problems.

Weight and size: Just smoking half a pack a day during your pregnancy can take a half
pound away from your baby's weight. Two packs a day will take up to a pound from your
baby's weight.

Lungs and body: Smaller babies have smaller lungs and bodies, which means that there
is a chance the lungs may not be able to function on their own. A baby exposed to too
much nicotine can spend the first few weeks of her life hooked up to a respirator in order
to stay alive. Babies exposed to smoking may be vulnerable to asthma problems and
sudden infant death syndrome.

Minimize Effects
Although it is suggested that you don't smoke at all during pregnancy, you can stop
smoking after the first four months and stand a small chance at giving birth prematurely
or having a child with other health complications.

. The chemicals found in cigarette smoke are dangerous to the fetus. Some chemicals
present include carbon monoxide, nicotine, cyanide and lead. Exposure to these
chemicals in the womb can have various detrimental effects on the developing fetus.

Oxygen Deprivation

1. The carbon monoxide and nicotine found in cigarette smoke decrease the fetus's
oxygen supply significantly. Sometimes oxygen levels can become so low that the
fetus dies before it can be born, resulting in a stillbirth.

Growth Retardation

2. Oxygen deprivation can stunt the growth of the fetus. Often babies born to
maternal smokers are small for their gestational age. Smaller babies are more
susceptible to suffering from other complications after birth.

Lung Development

3. Often low-birth weight babies will have underdeveloped lungs, which is a serious
problem. Babies exposed to cigarette smoke in the womb are more likely to suffer
from asthma.
 Learning Disabilities

4. Maternal smoking effects the development of the fetal brain. Those fetuses
exposed to tobacco smoke in the womb are more likely to exhibit learning
disabilities.

Behavior Problems

5. According to a study conducted by Mount Sinai, a link exists between maternal

smoking and behavioral problems in children. The study concluded that smoking
affected the neurophysiological development and functioning within the growing
fetus during pregnancy.