September 9 is celebrated around the world International Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Day, also known as fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). This date was started in 1999 and has been celebrated every year since then.

According to WHO statistics, up to 35% of Ukrainian women drank when they were pregnant, and Ukraine occupies one of the first places in the spread of FAS – approximately 0.5% or 50 recorded cases per 10,000 people. This is quite a large indicator. Most women who drink alcohol believe that small doses are safe for the baby’s body, but this is not the case.

• There is no safe dose of alcohol for a child in the womb!
• The child’s body is not able to remove alcohol on its own, because the liver in the fetus develops throughout the entire period of pregnancy.
• Although the nervous system is laid down in the first two months of pregnancy, it is also formed before birth, so even small doses of alcohol can cause abnormalities in its development.
• Receiving a dose of alcohol, the child has an increased risk of alcoholism. The so-called instant alcoholism is caused by intrauterine alcohol intoxication.
• Alcohol affects the development of all body cells, including the cardiovascular system, which can lead to various heart defects in a child.

Therefore, women who plan to have a child should be aware of this. It is never too late to give up alcohol.