Want smart children? Don't drink during pregnancy

A new study has revealed that prenatal exposure to alcohol severely disrupts major features of brain development that potentially lead to increased anxiety and poor motor function, conditions typical in humans with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD).

The study by neuroscientists at the University of California, Riverside, discovered that prenatal exposure to alcohol significantly altered the expression of genes and the development of a network of connections in the neocortex- the part of the brain responsible for high-level thought and cognition, vision, hearing, touch, balance, motor skills, language, and emotion- in a mouse model of FASD.

Lead author of the study Kelly Huffman said if you consume alcohol when you are pregnant you can disrupt the development of your baby's brain.

'This research helps us understand how substances like alcohol impact brain development and change behaviour,' Huffman explained. 'It also shows how prenatal alcohol exposure generates dramatic change in the brain that leads to changes in behaviour. Although this study uses a moderate- to high-dose model, others have shown that even small doses alter development of key receptors in the brain.'

Huffman's team found dramatic changes in intraneocortical connections between the frontal, somatosensory and visual cortex in mice born to mothers who consumed ethanol during pregnancy.

The changes were especially severe in the frontal cortex, which regulates motor skill learning, decision-making, planning, judgment, attention, risk-taking, executive function and sociality.

The study was published in the Journal of Neuroscience.

here are so many myths surrounding pregnancy and what pregnant women should and shouldn't do that it gets confusing at times. But there are certain things that are completely out of the window once you are pregnant. Sonali Shivlani, an internationally certified pregnancy, lactation and child nutrition counsellor lists 10 things NOT to do during pregnancy.

Alcohol consumption: Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can result in birth defects like poor growth, mental retardation and learning disabilities. Even a glass of wine or beer which is fine on other days is a strict no-no when pregnant.

Smoking: Tobacco causes cancer even when not pregnant. Smoking can pose a health risk not only for the mother but also the baby. It can result in premature delivery and can rupture membranes. The baby will get insufficient oxygen which will hamper the foetus' s growth.

Drug abuse: Use of drugs like cocaine, marijuana, etc can cause serious damage to the unborn child. It can result in low birth weight, and various other serious complications before and after delivery.

Heat: Excessive use of sauna, steam and heated pools aren't good during pregnancy; even excessive use of hot water bags in the torso region can result in the uterus getting overheated and in extreme cases can result in foetal death. Read more...

With inputs from ANI