Conception of a child in alcoholic intoxication consequences. Drunken conception: consequences and effects on the fetus
During pregnancy planning, doctors recommend that you completely stop drinking alcohol. However, pregnancy is not always expected, quite often conception occurs by accident.
It is not uncommon for two stripes in the dough to appear some time after a drinking party.
What is the danger of conception in alcoholic intoxication, and is it possible to give birth, if this happened, let's try to figure it out.
The danger of "drunken" conception
Drunken sexual contact without the use of contraceptives is in itself not a positive phenomenon. The child may be simply unwanted, unnecessary.
If the partner was accidental, then there is a risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections, and not just getting pregnant. If this happened at the same time, the disease itself and the medicines used to treat it are harmful to the unborn child.
The conception of a child in a state of alcoholic intoxication can have consequences that are dangerous to his health. One of the most dangerous options is the development of fetal alcohol syndrome. This is a complex of congenital mental and physiological disorders that do not go away, but only worsen with age.
The risk of having such a child is small if the parents-to-be drank a little.
If conception occurred in a state of strong alcoholic intoxication and the mother abuses alcohol during pregnancy, then the likelihood of fetal syndrome increases significantly.
The conception of a child in alcoholic intoxication can also lead to spontaneous abortion, various pregnancy problems, the birth of a premature baby, underweight newborns, and the development of mental and physical disabilities. Children have to pay for the indiscretion of parents.
Frozen pregnancy, fetal death in the womb is most often diagnosed after conception while intoxicated. Even if the fetus is viable, the effects of alcohol can damage its nervous system and heart. Children are born with an underdeveloped brain, respiratory organs, and pathologically formed heart muscle.
Genetic disorders are also common if the fertilization of the egg has occurred with the help of a defective sperm. These deviations are manifested in such diagnoses as "cleft lip", strabismus, "cleft palate", malformation of the bone skeleton, dropsy of the brain.
"Drunken" conception can cause mental retardation, problems with concentration and memory, and various mental disorders. In addition, these children often have a genetic predisposition to alcoholism.
Effect of ethanol on germ cells
Even in a healthy man, some of the sperm cells may have some abnormalities. However, at the moment of conception, the speed of the reproductive cell matters, and the strongest wins the race.
With regular use of alcohol, the percentage of pathological spermatozoa increases significantly, and the likelihood of fertilization with just such cells also increases.
The role of alcohol intoxication in a man at the time of conception is often minimized, but scientists know that ethanol penetrates into the seminal fluid almost immediately. The concentration of alcohol in blood and semen is approximately the same.
Alcohol has a detrimental effect on the health of the unborn child only if the mother uses it constantly. Spermatozoa in men mature within three months, and the egg is produced by the female body every month. If the expectant mother did not drink every day, then the chances are great that the egg was formed without pathologies.
But the use of alcohol by a father can have consequences even after a few months. Drunkenness at the moment of conception can lead to the birth of a mentally and physically disabled child.
Rules of conduct for the expectant mother, if conception occurred in a state of intoxication
Don't panic. If fertilization occurred during contact with a regular partner, and both of you are healthy, then the likelihood of having a sick baby is minimal.
Observing the rules of behavior while carrying a child, you can give birth to a completely healthy toddler.
First of all, you need to register with the antenatal clinic and undergo all the necessary examinations. Following the doctor's recommendations, giving up alcohol during pregnancy, you can carry a healthy baby.
If there is a suspicion that fertilization occurred while intoxicated, it is better to tell the doctor about it. He can prescribe additional examinations in order to identify existing pathologies in time, and, if possible, prevent their development.
It is imperative to take vitamins prescribed by the observing gynecologist. These should be special complexes with a high content of folic acid and iron, which are necessary for normal intrauterine development.
The expectant mother should eat right and give the body adequate physical activity. Adequate nutrition, walks in the fresh air, and moderate exercise will ensure a good blood supply to the uterus and the delivery of nutrients to the fetus. This, in turn, will contribute to the normal formation and development of the unborn baby.
There is an opinion among the people that there will be no harm from a glass of wine or a glass of cognac. Often this glass of wine becomes daily. And the spouses also do not see anything bad in this, in fact, alcohol has a cumulative effect. Often it manifests itself precisely when a man and a woman think about offspring. Alcohol has a different effect on the female and male body, but the result is often disastrous.
Alcohol and man
Sperm cells are rather fragile and delicate cells. Anything can affect the quality of sperm - a man's illness, fatigue, the state of stress in which he is. Alcohol, or rather ethyl alcohol, which it contains, reduces the mobility of a man's germ cells, lowering his fertility (ability to fertilize).
Previously, it was believed that a couple of glasses does not affect the quality of sperm in any way, because they are produced long before a man takes a dose of alcohol. Now doctors completely deny this information, because alcohol breakdown products penetrate into the seminal fluid within an hour after drinking alcohol. Destructive processes begin to take place in it, alcohol destroys and "cripples" healthy germ cells. A sperm without a tail or head is incapable of conception.
With prolonged and systematic intake of alcohol, sperm cells are already produced unhealthy, not only their morphology changes, but also genetics. If such a genetically modified sperm does fertilize an egg, then the risk of having a sick child will be very high.
Earlier, when medicine was not at such a high level, natural selection more often "worked". Sick and defective embryos, which appeared as a result of drunken conception, were rejected by the female body itself, and a miscarriage occurred. Now doctors are trying to maintain pregnancy at any cost, so children with severe pathologies, defects, chromosomal abnormalities are increasingly born.
The systematic use of alcoholic beverages negatively affects potency, and the more and longer a man drinks, the worse his libido and the ability to have a full sexual intercourse. New sperm cells mature for a long time - about 3 months.
Alcohol and women's health
Every girl is born with a large "strategic" supply of eggs in the ovaries. During puberty, eggs begin to leave the follicles once a month, ovulation occurs, and the menstrual cycle is established. Alcohol can disrupt this process, cause an increase in the number of anovulatory cycles, that is, cycles in which ovulation does not occur at all.
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The morphology and structure of the ovum, equally with sperm, can change under the influence of alcohol. Alcohol has a destructive effect not only on the dominant follicle in which the egg is maturing, and its release will occur in this cycle, but also on the entire supply of eggs in the ovaries. Thus, the chances of conceiving a healthy child in a drinking woman are minimal even if she stopped drinking a few months ago.
The ovaries themselves, with periodic libations of their "mistress", begin to age rapidly, their functions fade away, the woman becomes sterile. But here many may wonder why, then, drinking women suffering from obvious alcoholism regularly become pregnant and give birth, and they get it faster than a couple of teetotalers planning their baby.
The answer to this question is rather unexpected. A woman's eggs, while the functions of the ovaries are not completely extinguished, have the ability to "mobilize" in extreme situations, because their main task is to continue the birth. They begin to perform this program with redoubled strength, no longer being healthy and complete, so there is no need to talk about a healthy conception here.
Intoxicated conception
If both partners at the time of conception are in a state of alcoholic intoxication, but at the same time are not chronically drinkers, there is a chance that the conception will be successful and the child will be healthy, but it is not great.
It is not difficult to guess what the risk of a man and a woman who decide to drink alcohol before sex. The health of their heir is at stake. For a man, the state of intoxication at the moment of conception is more critical than for a woman, because alcohol penetrates into the seminal fluid, modifying its sex cells. The woman's ovum matured earlier. If during the follicular phase of the cycle the woman did not take alcohol, then a small amount of it at the moment of conception will not have time to affect the egg itself, but it can affect the processes of its division and movement along the fallopian tube after the meeting of the egg with the sperm has taken place.
That is why often "drunken" sex ends with an ectopic pregnancy, early miscarriage, detachment of the ovum. Any interference with the subtle processes of the division of a fertilized egg, including at the chemical level, can lead to disruption of these processes, loss of pregnancy.
Drinking alcohol after conception
From the moment of conception to the moment of delay in menstruation, which serve as a signal for a woman to take a pregnancy test, at least 2 weeks pass. Sometimes a lady is completely unaware that conception has taken place, and during these two weeks she leads a free lifestyle, in which there is a place for alcohol. After the "striped" test, which shows the real reason for the delay in menstruation, the woman involuntarily arises a question, how the alcohol taken before the delay in menstruation can affect the unborn child and whether it is worth keeping such a pregnancy.
Everything that enters the mother's body from the first hours after conception, to one degree or another, goes to the future baby. If we are not talking about chronic alcoholism and large doses of strong alcohol, the female body can partially compensate the child for the inconvenience. Therefore, it is not worth having an abortion just because several glasses of wine were taken by the woman before the delay. With a high degree of probability, the healthy and young organism of the expectant mother has minimized the harmful effects as much as possible.
It is important to avoid alcohol consumption in the future., because the baby is undergoing an important and responsible process - this is the formation of all organs and systems, alcohol can make its own "adjustments", then malformations of internal organs, brain, spinal cord are not excluded.
Drinking alcohol at the beginning of pregnancy increases the risk that the period of bearing a baby will be accompanied by severe toxicosis.
The immunity of a woman who, before conception, was not averse to drinking alcohol, is reduced in comparison with the immunity of a non-drinking woman. This creates an additional danger when carrying a baby, because such a woman is more vulnerable to viruses and bacteria that surround her.
Consequences of "drunken conception" for a child
There is no doubt that alcohol before conception and during conception affects the child. But for some reason, not all couples think about it. Most likely, the reason for such carelessness lies in the lack of specific information about what the consequences may be. We are accustomed to the fact that we are simply told that alcohol is harmful, without explaining exactly how drinking can affect the offspring. Alcohol, acting at the time of conception on the reproductive cells of women and men, can lead to disruptions in the construction of DNA chains in the dividing cells of the zygote. The laying of organs and systems may initially go down the wrong path.
There are several of the most common consequences of drunken conception.
"Hare lip" and "Wolf's mouth"
A cleft lip is a facial defect associated with a non-closure of the upper lip, the formation of an ugly cleft. This creates difficulties with feeding the baby, later such a cleft interferes with the formation of speech. Most often, boys are born with such a defect. A cleft is formed before the 8th week of pregnancy.
The pathology is based on a mutation of the TBX22 gene, which becomes possible not only with radiation exposure, but also with the systematic intake of alcohol by two spouses or one of the spouses, even in insignificant quantities. Unfortunately, such a defect in a child can be detected only in late pregnancy during an ultrasound scan. Usually, at such times (after 32 weeks), the pregnancy is no longer interrupted.
The cleft palate is a pathology associated with the formation of a cleft in the soft and hard palate, non-closure, as a result of which the nasal cavity is not isolated from the oral cavity. This also creates tangible problems with feeding the baby, with the formation of his speech functions. This pathology most often appears due to the fault of the mother, since it is caused by alcoholic and other teratogenic effects on the TBX22 gene on the X chromosome.
In both cases, the baby is waiting for an operation, and possibly a whole series of operations designed to eliminate the defect, and then a long rehabilitation period. The cleft palate is more common and more difficult to treat. It happens that a child under 2-3 years old has to undergo up to 7 surgical interventions.
Fetal alcohol syndrome
Under this concept lies a large list of combinations of mental and physical defects and abnormalities that develop in the fetus due to the fact that his mother consumed alcohol before or after conception. Most often, the central nervous system suffers, the child is born with mental retardation, impaired intelligence and behavior, as well as abnormalities in the structure of the brain.
Almost all children conceived in a drunken "stupor" are born with a lack of body weight and short stature. A frequent manifestation of fetal fetal alcohol syndrome is congenital heart and reproductive system defects. The severity of the lesions depends on how much, how long, and how often the mother and father take alcohol. All children with this syndrome have certain external features:
- the eyes look shorter and narrower;
- the bridge of the baby's nose is flattened and wide;
- the labial groove (vertical folds between the upper lip and nose) is almost absent;
- the upper lip is thinner;
- Mongoloid fold of the eyelids in the area of the lacrimal canal;
- a certain degree of microcephaly (a decrease in the size of the skull and brain mass).
Usually babies with alcohol syndrome are seen immediately after birth. All alcohol-induced anomalies are considered life-long and do not go away with age. Signs of fetal alcohol syndrome are not always visible externally.
If a woman uses infrequently and a little, but still systematically, if a teetotal woman decides to conceive from a heavily drinking man, then the processes inherent in fetal alcohol syndrome in the child will proceed latently, but they will certainly appear.
Other consequences
Excessive alcohol consumption by the mother, father or both spouses before conception, at the time of conception, in the first two weeks after conception, as well as during pregnancy, often manifests itself in a child who looks completely healthy at birth, later.
Alcohol before conception: how much to abstain?
Did you drink alcohol before conception? Are you now feeling guilty, worried about your baby's health? Is everything so bad or is there any hope that the "drunken conception" will go without consequences? There are situations when they have been planning a child for years: they bypass specialists, undergo treatment, and pass a bunch of tests. Prepare and try ... Pregnancy does not come. And one day, after stormy holidays, they learn that conception has come. There is an unpleasant, annoying feeling of guilt and hope that everything will be fine. What is the risk of conception after alcohol?
Incredible theories about "drunken" conception
There are several theories about the harmless effects of alcohol during conception:
- The harm to the embryo is caused not by alcohol itself and the products of its metabolism, but by other toxic substances that may be in the mother's body. Ethanol simply acts as a catalyst - under its action, the protective properties of organ cells and tissues are lost. They become more vulnerable.
- harmless if taken in the period from the release of the egg from the follicle to the attachment of the ovum. According to the theory, the egg cell, and then the embryo, are in "free swimming" - they move in the body and have no connection with the circulatory system. The alcohol taken does not enter the oocyte and the embryo until the latter.
There is no point in refuting these theories, because none of these facts has been scientifically proven or refuted. Today it is just someone's opinion. We propose to approach them using logic.
As for the first point, any chemical compound can be a toxic substance. For example, substances received from food or formed during digestion - the metabolism of food. And they are formed. Otherwise, why does a person need a liver, sweat glands, kidneys? Harmful substances can still be inhaled with the air. So is it worth the risk deliberately, tempt fate?
The second point gives hope. According to him, alcohol before conception is not harmful at all. But if ethanol is in the blood, then it will certainly appear in other biological fluids, instantly overcoming biological barriers.
In the case of interest to us, alcohol will be in the mucus covering the inner lining of the fallopian tubes and endometrium. The egg and sperm cells move along it, which means they are surrounded by alcohol. One can only guess about its concentration and effect on the germ cells, the developing embryo () during the passage through the pipes. There is no scientific evidence for this.
Alcohol consumption by a man
The presence of ethanol in semen fluid (the liquid fraction of semen) equalizes the strength of healthy and poor-quality sperm. The mobility of "good" male germ cells is lost. Healthy competition, on which the mechanism is built, is suppressed: the strongest wins (hence the highest quality, healthiest and genetically complete sperm).
This leads to an increase in the likelihood of conception by a sperm with poor-quality genetic information. Therefore, "drunken conception" becomes the cause of miscarriages, miscarriages, congenital deformities, abnormal physical and mental development. This lists the most adverse effects that are occurring in the near future.
In a situation where conception is not planned, one of the most common risk factors for the birth of a child with pathology remains alcoholic intoxication of the parents at the time of conception. And, despite the fact that scientists continue to debate on this issue, the theory of direct influence on the physical and psychological state of offspring - toxins, where alcohol plays a leading role - remains the closest to reality.
But in this case, the real concerns are couples with a chronic alcohol problem. We will try to study a situation in which parents allowed themselves only a couple of glasses of wine or a bottle of beer.
Let's start with the basics. "Drunken Conception" and its consequences
Since the process of maturation of spermatozoa lasts about 3 months, it is logical to assume that “old cells”, not tainted by alcohol, are involved in conception.
However, recent studies by Canadian doctors have confirmed the opposite point of view. Alcohol has been shown to act almost instantly on semen fluid, which maintains sperm viability. Normally, the sperm of healthy non-drinking men contains up to 25% of abnormal sperm cells (indicators of a normal spermogram), but their chances of participating in conception are much lower than that of healthy germ cells. However, after drinking alcohol, the chances of healthy and abnormal cells are almost equal! The result can be disastrous: the egg is fertilized by a defective sperm, and the child is born with various abnormalities due to genetic defects. Recent studies have shown that semen alcohol content matches blood alcohol content. And alcohol can cause violations of the chromosomal composition of sperm.
The maturation of an egg in a woman's body occurs every month, this process can be influenced by various factors, including alcohol. However, in the pre-implantation period, deformities do not occur; in other words, the alcohol consumed by the mother during the period from the beginning of the last menstrual period to conception is unlikely to harm her unborn child. But alcohol drunk by a man 2-3 months before conception, and especially on the day of conception, has a detrimental effect on the physical and mental health of his offspring, since it is this period that is necessary for the maturation of sperm.
But at the end of this short period, the embryo becomes extremely sensitive to all harmful factors that can lead both to its death and to the occurrence of severe deformities and diseases if the fetus remains alive. In the first two weeks after conception, nature acts on an all-or-nothing basis. Only a healthy embryo develops at this time. If cells are damaged by alcohol, strong medications, nicotine, or infection, they stop dividing. Then a very early miscarriage occurs, in the form of delayed menstruation. If the embryo develops further, this is the most reliable indicator that you have not damaged it in any way. But from that moment on, the expectant mother celebrates only with soft drinks!
A pregnant woman, even with all her desire, cannot drink alone: an unborn child will always accompany the expectant mother.
The widespread belief that alcohol can harm the fetus only when the umbilical cord and placenta have already formed is completely wrong! Ten to fourteen days after the fertilized egg has passed into the uterus through the oviduct, it takes root in the uterus. At this stage, there is still no connection through the umbilical cord between the blood circulation of the mother and the child. Despite this, maternal blood enters the embryo, including through the yolk bladder. If alcohol enters the mother's bloodstream through the stomach and small intestine, it can reach the fetus and disrupt cell division.
There is also a misconception that a glass of wine is less harmful if the formation of a child's organs is complete. Alcohol can harm a child at any time. But it is absolutely true that the first three months are a particularly dangerous phase. Since at this time the organs of the child begin to form and develop, the adverse effect of alcohol on cell division can especially easily lead to malformations. The brain is especially vulnerable: under the influence of alcohol, fewer brain cells are formed, this affects the size of the brain. In the fourth or sixth month of pregnancy, alcohol prevents, first of all, the growth of the embryo. In this case, the risk of miscarriage increases two to four times if the pregnant woman drinks more than 30 ml of alcohol twice a week. At the seventh or ninth month, the child has a new growth leap. Since the brain is actively developing and growing, and connections between cells are formed, the effect of alcohol is especially destructive during this period: it negatively affects both processes.
Both alcohol itself (ethanol) and its decomposition products, such as acetaldehyde, have a damaging effect on the fetus. Ethanol leads to vasospasm in the placenta and umbilical cord, impairing the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the fetus. Acetaldehyde has a detrimental effect on the cells of the embryo, leads to a change in the genetic material (DNA), which is the cause of various deformities. Alcohol disrupts the exchange of vitamins, hormones in the tissues and organs of the fetus. The central nervous system is especially sensitive to it, which subsequently becomes the cause of intellectual and behavioral disorders in the child. The use of alcohol by a woman during pregnancy significantly increases the risk of miscarriage, low birth weight, and in the most severe cases contributes to the development of fetal alcohol syndrome. This syndrome is associated with intrauterine alcohol damage and is characterized by specific facial anomalies, lagging in physical and mental development, behavioral abnormalities, damage to the heart, genitourinary system and other organs. Unfortunately, the consequences of intrauterine damage to the fetus are irreversible and practically not amenable to treatment.
To drink or not to drink?
A reasonable question arises: does the severity of harm caused to a child's health depend on the amount of alcohol, the regularity of its use, or something else? Of course, the amount and frequency of alcohol consumption play an important role in the nature of the effects of alcohol exposure on the fetus. According to studies, the daily intake of a pregnant woman 30 grams of alcohol or other alcoholic beverages in terms of alcohol is associated with a high risk of developing fetal alcohol syndrome in a child. But there is no single safe dose of alcohol for everyone! It was revealed that fetal alcohol syndrome also occurred in children whose mothers consumed only 3-5 g of alcohol daily. The harm of alcohol to the fetus depends on the characteristics of the mother's body for the processing of alcohol and the reaction to alcohol, the state of the woman's organs and systems at the time of pregnancy, the nature of the diet, associated bad habits, such as smoking, the genotype of the fetus (it depends on the germ cells involved in conception), gestational age and many other points.
Ethanol easily crosses the placental barrier, quickly enters the fetal bloodstream, and as a result, the so-called teratogenic effect, that is, the ability to cause congenital deformities, can occur.
Of course, do not panic if you have drunk a glass of dry wine or half a can of beer once or twice during your entire pregnancy. However, if this is included in your system, the risk of getting into one of the "critical periods", when the sensitivity of the fetus to external factors is especially high, increases many times. And such a whim can cost not only physical and mental health, but even your child's life. An obvious fact: it is unwise to expose the fetus to even the smallest risk. Therefore, the recommendations of most doctors remain very categorical: alcohol consumption during pregnancy should be completely excluded!
Better yet, for future parents to stop taking alcoholic beverages in the period preceding conception (at least 3 months before it).
In 100 grams of drink:
Women who drink one to two units of alcohol a day and the first three months of pregnancy have twice the risk of miscarriage in the second trimester of pregnancy than non-drinkers. Often the causes of miscarriages in early pregnancy in this case are various genetic abnormalities and developmental disorders, some of which may be the result of alcohol. Thus, no matter how blasphemous it sounds, according to the laws of nature, pathological genetic material is “discarded”. Summing up the results of the conversation, we can draw the following conclusions:
Apparently, future parents should listen to the opinion of most experts, and if they are interested in pregnancy and the birth of a healthy child, at least 3 months before the planned conception, exclude the possibility of various harmful effects, including alcohol. Remember that this is about the health of children, who are not worth the risk.
As you know, the alcohol that we consume in the form of drinks is ethyl alcohol or ethanol.
Everyone also knows that it is capable of causing a variety of changes in the human body. The manifestation and severity of these changes depend on the duration and intensity of the effects of alcohol on the body - the so-called alcoholization, and also to a large extent - on the individual characteristics of a person. The complex of pathological manifestations arising from prolonged excessive consumption of alcohol is called alcoholic disease. Its symptoms, alas, are well known, and I will not dwell on them.
However, the saddest thing is that alcohol can affect not only the health of the drinker, but also his offspring.
True, numerous studies have failed to establish a direct link between the father's alcoholism and any pathological abnormalities in his child. Nevertheless, the stronger sex should not be complacent, since alcoholic illness in men manifests itself, among other things, in violations of sexual function in general: a decrease in libido, potency, and others.
But as for women, drinking alcohol during pregnancy is far from harmless. Ethanol easily overcomes the placental barrier, quickly enters the fetal bloodstream, and as a result, a so-called teratogenic effect may occur, that is, the ability to cause congenital deformities (from the Greek teratos - monster).
There is such a thing as fetal alcohol syndrome, or fetal alcohol syndrome (for its naming, the abbreviation FAS is used - Fetal Alcohol Syndrome). Fetal alcohol syndrome is a condition caused by the teratogenic effect of ethanol on the developing fetus during critical periods of development, the result of which is:
How much alcohol can cause such tragic consequences?
Unfortunately, it is impossible to clearly define the threshold zones of alcoholization at which fetal alcohol syndrome develops. They are strictly individual and are associated with the individual characteristics of metabolism, the so-called pharmacogenetic profile of the body. Therefore, fetal alcohol syndrome may not appear in a drunken alcoholic and appear in a woman who has quite moderately consumed alcohol. Thus, it is impossible to establish safe doses of alcohol consumption during pregnancy without knowing the characteristics of the enzyme systems of the woman's body.
A woman can afford 2-3 times during pregnancy 100-200 g of natural dry wine with virtually no risk. But not more.
It is also IMPORTANT to note that if a woman has consumed alcohol, not yet knowing that she is pregnant, she should in no case require a referral for an abortion, because basically the pathology of fetal development is observed with chronic use of ethanol. Therefore, in this case, you just need to lead a healthy lifestyle from the moment of pregnancy. The main thing is not to tempt fate.
Based on materials from Chelebi Gagaev, obstetrician-gynecologist, candidate of medical sciences, associate professor of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, RUDN University.
The harmful effect of alcohol on conception has been described in ancient Greek mythology. According to her, the god Hephaestus was born lame, which was a consequence of a drunken conception. His father Zeus was drunk as he drank a lot of wine.
Nevertheless, the term drunken conception is not a mythological concept, and the use of alcoholic products during conception and pregnancy is becoming almost commonplace.
Drinking alcohol by both partners before conception
The process of sperm maturation in men takes about three months. Therefore, the option is not excluded in which fertilization occurs by old cells that have not been subjected to the harmful effects of alcoholic beverages.
But as a result of recent scientific research, the opposite point of view has been established, according to which conception while drunk is fraught with dangerous consequences. It has been proven that alcoholic beverages have an immediate and negative effect on semen fluid, and its purpose is to maintain sperm vitality. What happens to a man who is drunk?
The semen of every healthy man contains about 25% of the so-called pathological sperm, which is the absolute norm. Their chances of participating in conception are extremely small compared to healthy cells, so you should not be afraid of this. But alcohol consumption leads to an equalization of the chances of healthy and abnormal cells to participate in fertilization. As a result of the conception of a child in alcoholic intoxication, the fertilization of an egg with a pathological sperm can occur, and the consequences of this are not comforting - the child is born with a whole arsenal of deviations and defects.
In addition, scientists have established a relationship between blood alcohol content and semen alcohol content. As for the influence of alcoholic beverages and their components, there is a change in spermatozoa, their chromosomal composition, and it should be understood that the changes are not for the better. Therefore, for a man who wants to become a father, giving up alcohol should be a priority not only before the intended conception, but also 3 months before it.
With regard to women, the situation here is somewhat different. Researchers from Denmark conducted an experiment in which women were divided into three groups: drinkers, non-drinkers and moderately consuming (up to 150 ml of wine every day). The results surprised everyone, the following happened. Pregnancy in women in the third group was faster than in the rest. According to the researchers, this is due to the fact that alcohol in small doses normalizes hormonal processes and reduces stress. But does this mean that alcohol is the best way to conceive and get pregnant?
The effect of alcohol on the ovum is unambiguously destructive. Egg maturation occurs every month, and various factors, including alcohol, can have a detrimental effect on this process. However, no deformities occur during the pre-implantation period. That is, alcohol drunk by a woman during the period from the beginning of the last menstruation to the very conception will not harm the development of the child. At the same time, a man who drank alcohol 2-3 months before conception or on the day of conception will cause great harm to the child's mental health.
But nature has taken good care of women too. After the end of the period from the beginning of menstruation to conception, the embryo becomes sensitive to all dangerous and harmful factors. In the first two weeks of pregnancy, nature acts on a pan-or-loss principle, all or nothing. A healthy embryo can count on further development, if the cells were damaged, then they cease to participate in division, as a result of which an early miscarriage occurs.
The effect of alcohol on conception and fetal development
Frequently asked questions such as is it possible to get pregnant while intoxicated or if the husband was drunk have an unambiguous answer - yes, it is possible to get pregnant, but what will the child be like?
Undoubtedly, both the amount of alcohol consumed and the frequency of use play an important role. According to scientific research, the use of alcoholic beverages by a woman during pregnancy can lead to fetal alcohol syndrome in a baby.
Not only alcohol, that is, ethanol, has a negative effect, but also other products that make up alcohol.
Drunk conception can lead to further spasms of the umbilical cord and placenta vessels, thereby impairing the delivery of nutrients and oxygen to the baby.
Acetaldehyde, which is part of alcohol, has a detrimental effect on the cells of the embryo, changing the genetic material, which leads to the appearance of deformities.
In addition to all of the above, alcohol disrupts the exchange of hormones and vitamins in the organs and tissues of the embryo. The central nervous system is especially vulnerable, a violation in the formation of which leads to a change in the behavioral and intellectual qualities of the child if conception occurs in a drunken state.
A large number of forums are full of all sorts of headlines - drinking alcohol during pregnancy does not harm the child, children are born healthy, and so on. Not all pathologies manifest themselves in a born child openly, some may appear at a later age. Therefore, during pregnancy and gestation, alcohol must be completely excluded. The same applies to the period before conception - future parents should abandon it at least three months before conception.
The myth of moderately drinking parents
This myth also becomes an object for discussion on thematic forums. It is required to understand the following. Here are the consequences if even one of the partners was drunk:
Thus, the conception of a child while intoxicated has a number of consequences on the part of a man. At the same time, the consumption of alcohol by the mother before conception may not affect the development of the child. But in order not to tempt fate for luck, it is better to give up alcohol for both partners. After all, there is nothing better for any parent than the well-being and happiness of his children.
Thank you for your feedback.
COMMENTS:
Megan92 () 2 weeks ago
Did anyone manage to save your husband from alcoholism? Mine drinks without drying out, I don't know what to do ((I thought about getting a divorce, but I don’t want to leave the child without a father, and I feel sorry for my husband, so he’s a great person when he doesn’t drink
Daria () 2 weeks ago
I have already tried so many things and only after reading this article, I managed to wean my husband from alcohol, now he does not drink at all, even on holidays.
Megan92 () 13 days ago
Daria () 12 days ago
Megan92, so I wrote in my first comment) I will duplicate just in case - link to article.
Sonya 10 days ago
Isn't this a divorce? Why are they selling on the Internet?
Yulek26 (Tver) 10 days ago
Sonya, what country do you live in? They sell on the Internet, because shops and pharmacies set their marginal markup. In addition, payment is only after receipt, that is, first looked, checked and only then paid. And now everything is sold on the Internet - from clothes to TVs and furniture.
Editorial response 10 days ago
Sonia, hello. This drug for the treatment of alcohol dependence is really not sold through the pharmacy chain and retail stores in order to avoid overpricing. To date, you can order only on official website... Be healthy!
Sonya 10 days ago
I apologize, did not notice the information about cash on delivery at first. Then everything is in order for sure if the payment is on receipt.
Margo (Ulyanovsk) 8 days ago
Has anyone tried folk methods to get rid of alcoholism? My father drinks, I can't influence him in any way ((
Andrey () A week ago
What folk remedies have not tried, the father-in-law both drank and drinks
Ekaterina 1 week ago
I tried to give my husband a decoction of bay leaves (she said it was good for the heart), so he left with the men to drink in an hour. I no longer believe in these folk methods ...
Maria 5 days ago