Study says women should stop drinking before getting pregnant

Researchers at Rotterdam’s Erasmus Medical Center found drinking alcohol in the months before conception may change shape It may indicate an underlying developmental problem.

The researchers used AI to analyze 3D images of the faces of 9- and 13-year-old children and compared them with information about their mothers’ alcohol consumption collected during pregnancy.

As a result, children whose mothers drank only one cup per week before conception were more likely to have upturned noses, shorter noses, upturned chins, and curved lower eyelids. I understand.

Researchers found that the more a mother drank, the greater the change, and women who continued to drink had a higher risk of having children with these characteristics.

“Although an association between lower levels of alcohol and facial shape in children has been previously reported, our study found an association at much lower amounts of exposure,” the researchers said. I’m here.

The results, published in the journal Human Reproduction, were visible to children by age 9, but were not significantly associated by age 13, suggesting that environmental concerns or growth patterns masked the change. increase.

Nonetheless, children whose mothers drink during pregnancy known to develop Neurobehavioral problems and alcohol can affect cognitive development and lead to psychological and behavioral problems, researchers note.

“Our research suggests that women who are pregnant or wanting to conceive soon should completely abstain from alcohol consumption several months before conception and during pregnancy to avoid adverse effects on the health of their offspring. It suggests that there is,” said the researchers.