What Half a Glass of Wine Does to Your Unborn Baby

If you were in the one-glass-won't-hurt-you camp when it came to drinking alcohol during pregnancy, doctors are now coming out with much more strict guidelines aimed to show the effects of alcohol on a growing fetus. A new study coming out of England shows that even just one glass of wine can stop a baby's breathing and movement for two hours.

Professor Peter Hepper, of Queen's University Belfast, studied the effects of low doses of alcohol (just about 6 ounces) on a growing fetus. When he then looked at the 18-week scans, he found that in women who drank just half a glass of wine, the fetus would stop breathing and moving, and then at one point would immediately jump and turn.

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And this sudden stop in movement and then immediate turning, Hepper says, is proof that the baby's brain is not developing the way it should. The alcohol's toxins not only affect the development, but can lead to a more dangerous pregnancy, and increased health risks after the child is born.

So moms, that means not even a little bit.

Studies before have shown that small amounts of wine can be tolerated, but the latest research proves that not even a small amount is OK.

Does this worry you? Did you drink while pregnant?

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