Think before you drink, Warwickshire mums urged
New mums and mums-to-be in Warwickshire are being urged to think about how much alcohol they drink, as it may have an adverse effect on their babies.
This Saturday (26 May) is Cleft Lip and Palate Awareness Day. One in 700 babies is born with a cleft lip and/or palate in the UK every year, a condition which has been linked to alcohol intake during pregnancy.
Last week was National Breastfeeding Week and alcohol intake by new mums who choose to breast feed also needs to be monitored, according to health chiefs.
So the multi-agency team behind Warwickshire’s new Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy is asking new mums and mums-to-be to think before they drink.
According to health chiefs, women who drink heavily during pregnancy put their babies at risk of developing Foetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), the effects of which can include facial abnormalities such as a cleft palate and eye problems.
Lorna Ferguson, Alcohol Joint Commissioning Manager for Warwickshire County Council’s Drug and Alcohol Action Team said: “A baby’s liver is one of the last organs to develop fully and does not mature until the latter half of pregnancy.
"It is for this reason that unborn babies cannot process alcohol as well as adults.”
Alcohol can also pass through to babies in very small amounts in breast milk, and one unit of alcohol takes about two hours to clear from a mother’s milk.
Lorna Ferguson said: “By breastfeeding, you are giving your baby the best possible start in life.
“But if you regularly drink more that the recommended amount it can affect your baby in a number of ways. These include difficulties with digestion and problems with sleeping patterns.”
Here are some tips for reducing your alcohol consumption before, during and after pregnancy:
• Reduce your units by choosing drinks that are not so strong.
• Don’t drink in rounds or let people ‘top you up’.
• Eat and drink something (non-alcoholic) before you go out.
• Have more soft drinks than alcoholic ones - try a fruit juice cocktail or a Virgin Mary.
• Suggest that you meet friends or colleagues at a cafe rather than a bar.
• Replace drinking with other stress-reducing pleasures and social activity - have a relaxing bath, do some exercise, read, or listen to music.
• Invite friends round to your home instead of going out.
• Don’t be afraid to ask for support from family and friends - if your partner enjoys a drink after work, consider asking him not to, so you don’t feel deprived.
For more information, visit Warwickshire’s Drug and Alcohol Action Team (DAAT) website by following the link below.