Does alcohol affect conception? How much should a man not drink before conceiving?

In a situation where conception is not planned, one of the most common risk factors for the birth of a child with a pathology remains the alcohol 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 physical and psychological condition offspring toxins, where alcohol plays a leading role.

But in this case, the real concern is for couples with a chronic problem of alcoholism. 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. "Drunk conception" and its consequences

Since the process of sperm maturation lasts about 3 months, it is logical to assume that “old cells” that are not spoiled by alcohol are involved in conception.

However, recent studies by Canadian doctors have confirmed the opposite point of view. It has been found that alcohol has an almost immediate effect on the spermatic fluid, which maintains the viability of sperm. Normally, the sperm of healthy non-drinking men contains up to 25% of pathological sperm (indicators of a normal spermogram), but their chances of participating in conception are much lower than those of healthy germ cells. However, after drinking alcohol, the chances of healthy and pathological cells are almost equal! The result of this can be disastrous: the egg is fertilized by a defective sperm, and the child is born with various abnormalities caused by genetic defects. Recent studies have shown that the alcohol content in semen corresponds to the alcohol content in the blood. And alcohol can cause disturbances in the chromosomal composition of sperm.

The maturation of the egg in a woman’s body occurs every month; this process can be influenced various factors, including alcohol. However, deformities do not occur during the preimplantation period; in other words, alcohol consumed by a mother during the period from the beginning of her last menstrual period to conception is unlikely to harm her unborn child. But alcohol drunk by a man 23 months before conception and especially on the day of conception has a detrimental effect on the physical and mental health of his offspring, since this is the period necessary for the maturation of sperm.

But after this short period, the embryo becomes extremely sensitive to all harmful factors, which can lead to both its death and the occurrence of severe deformities and diseases if the fetus remains alive. In the first two weeks after conception, nature acts on the “all or nothing” principle. Only a healthy embryo develops at this time. If cells are damaged by alcohol, strong drugs, nicotine or infection, they stop dividing. Then it happens very early miscarriage, in the form of delayed menstruation. If the embryo develops further, this is the most reliable indicator that you have not harmed it in any way. But from now on, the expectant mother celebrates only with soft drinks!

A pregnant woman, even with all her desire, cannot drink alone: ​​company to the expectant mother will always be an unborn child.

The widely held 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 passes through the oviduct into the uterus, 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 flows to the embryo, including through the yolk sac. If alcohol enters the mother's blood 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 the child’s organs has completed. 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 child’s organs begin to form and develop, the adverse effects of alcohol on cell division can especially easily lead to developmental defects. The brain is especially vulnerable: under the influence of alcohol, fewer brain cells are formed, which affects the size of the brain. In the fourth and sixth months of pregnancy, alcohol primarily interferes with the growth of the fetus. At the same time, the risk of miscarriage increases two to four times if a pregnant woman drinks more than 30 ml of alcohol twice a week. At the seventh-ninth month the child has a new growth spurt. Since the brain is actively developing and growing, and connections are being formed between cells, the effects of alcohol are especially harmful during this period: it negatively affects both processes.

Both the alcohol itself (ethanol) and its breakdown products, such as acetaldehyde, have a damaging effect on the fetus. Ethanol leads to spasm of the blood vessels of 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, leading to changes in the genetic material (DNA), which causes various deformities. Alcohol disrupts the exchange of vitamins and hormones in the tissues and organs of the fetus. The central nervous system is especially sensitive to it, which subsequently causes intellectual and behavioral disorders in the child. Alcohol consumption by a woman during pregnancy significantly increases the risk of miscarriage, low birth weight babies, 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, physical and mental retardation. 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 impossible to treat.

To drink or not to drink?

A reasonable question arises: does the severity of the 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 consequences of alcohol exposure on the fetus. According to research, daily intake of 30 grams of alcohol or other alcoholic beverages by a pregnant woman in terms of alcohol is associated with a high risk of developing fetal alcohol syndrome in the child. But there is no single dose of alcohol that is safe for everyone! It was revealed that fetal alcohol syndrome also occurred in children whose mothers consumed only 3 x 5 g of alcohol daily. The harmfulness of alcohol to the fetus depends on the characteristics of the mother’s body in processing alcohol and reaction to alcohol, the state of the woman’s organs and systems at the time of pregnancy, the nature of the diet, accompanying bad habits, for example, smoking, fetal genotype (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 blood, and as a result, a so-called teratogenic effect can occur, that is, the ability to cause congenital deformities.

Of course, don't panic if you drink a glass of dry wine or half a can of beer once or twice during your pregnancy. However, if this has entered your system, the risk of falling into one of the “critical periods” when the fetus is sensitive to the effects external factors especially large, increasing many times. And such a whim can cost not only physical and mental health, but even the life of your child. The fact is obvious: it is unwise to expose the fetus to even minimal risk. Therefore, the recommendations of most doctors remain very categorical: drinking alcohol during pregnancy should be completely avoided!

It’s even better for future parents to stop drinking alcohol 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 per day during the first three months of pregnancy appear to have twice the risk of miscarriage in the second trimester of pregnancy compared to non-drinkers. Often the causes of miscarriages are early stages During pregnancy, in this case, various genetic anomalies and developmental disorders occur, some of which may be a consequence of the effects of alcohol. Thus, no matter how blasphemous it sounds, according to the laws of nature, pathological genetic material is “rejected”. Summarizing 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 birth healthy child, at least 3 months before the planned conception, exclude the possibility of various harmful effects, including alcohol. Remember that we are talking about the health of children, which should not be risked.

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 so-called alcoholization, and also to a large extent on individual characteristics person. The complex of pathological manifestations that occur with prolonged excessive drinking 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 not been able to establish a direct connection between the father’s alcoholism and any pathological abnormalities in his child. However, be complacent stronger sex should not, since alcoholic illness in men manifests itself, among other things, in sexual dysfunction in general: decreased libido, potency, and others.

But as for women, drinking alcohol during pregnancy is far from harmless. Ethanol easily crosses the placental barrier, quickly enters the fetal blood, and as a result, a so-called teratogenic effect can 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 (the abbreviation FAS Foetal Alcohol Syndrome is used to name it). Fetal alcohol syndrome is a condition caused by the teratogenic effect of ethanol on developing fetus during critical periods of development, the results of which are:

Nowadays it is difficult to find a man who does not drink alcohol even in small quantities. Almost any man drinks beer, vodka or other alcoholic drinks without thinking about the effects of alcohol on the body. For men, drinking beer or vodka is the ability to relax. Today the market is represented by a wide variety of alcoholic drinks, ranging from light cocktails to vodka or cognac. Alcohol consumption today is not controlled in any way. This was not the case in ancient times. Previously, laws were passed according to which women were prohibited from drinking alcohol until the age of 30, that is, during childbearing age. All this was for a reason. There was an opinion that alcohol in diluted or pure form affects pregnancy and the baby itself.

As for men, there were no restrictions for them. Similar laws were issued in Ancient India and Rome. Today, due to the rapid development of medicine, the negative effect of alcohol on conception, pregnancy and fetal health has been proven. The effect on the male body is of greatest importance, since a man drinks more women. It is worth considering in more detail how alcohol affects conception in men, its effect on sperm and potency.

Effect on male reproductive cells

Men who are exposed to alcohol may experience the following health problems: internal organs, neuropsychic disorders, decreased immunity, impaired potency and fertilization function. Everyone knows that alcohol affects the quality of sperm and sperm. How does this manifest itself? It is known that for complete fertilization in a woman’s body, sperm must be mobile and healthy. Their total number is also of great importance.

Alcohol affects conception in men in such a way that as a result of its systematic use, reproductive cells lose their mobility.

In addition to all this, their number is decreasing. Hypospermia or aspermia may occur. All this contributes to the fact that fertilization of the egg does not occur.

In more severe cases, alcohol disrupts the genetic apparatus of sperm, and during the formation of the zygote and fetus, various genetic anomalies and deformities may occur. Very often, mentally retarded children (with Down syndrome) are born to alcoholic parents and developmental anomalies are observed. Conceiving in men is a serious matter, so before planning a child, you need to give up alcohol at least 3 months before fertilization. Sperm are renewed in men every 3-4 months. In case of toxic effects physical activity male germ cells are reduced by an average of 20%.

Conceiving a child while intoxicated

Alcohol and conception are two incompatible things. Many people will wonder how alcohol affects conception in men while drunk. Alcohol very quickly penetrates the blood and spreads to all cells and tissues of the body. Scientists have proven that alcohol consumption during direct fertilization prevents conception, because the germ cells are among the first to be affected by alcohol. Normally, the gonads contain approximately 25% of pathological sperm, which are not capable of fertilizing an egg.

When drinking beer, vodka or any other similar drink, active sperm are affected. As a result, almost all cells reduce their activity and mobility, which reduces the chances of successful conception. Alcohol has a dual effect on sperm: firstly, it reduces the quality of sperm, and secondly, it reduces its production by the sex glands. All this happens quite quickly. This fact suggests that in order to conceive, parents must be sober.

The effect of alcohol on conception can manifest itself in, which in turn will lead to the impossibility of fertilization. It has been proven that drinking 100 g of alcohol per day has a negative effect on the central nervous system and reduces sexual desire (libido). In addition, if certain parts of the brain are damaged, the production of germ cells may be affected. To conceive a child, it is important that sexual partners have close contact and attraction to each other.

When alcohol constantly enters a man’s body, his sexual desire decreases, interest in his partner is lost, which entails Negative consequences. With frequent consumption of large doses of alcohol, especially low quality, it can have a direct toxic effect on the sex glands - the testes. Over time, complete impotence may occur, which can be very difficult to cure.

The effect of alcohol on the fetus

Exposure to alcoholic beverages is especially dangerous for the unborn child. Damaged male reproductive cells as a result of fertilization of the egg transmit part of the genetic apparatus damaged by the toxic effects of alcohol. During the formation of organs and systems of the unborn child, genetic defects and disturbances in the formation of tissues and organs may appear. The most sensitive in this regard is the brain. All this can lead to congenital defects development and deformities. As a result of drunken conception, the unborn child may experience the following disorders: decreased weight and decreased height at birth, underdevelopment of the brain, impaired mental and mental activity, anomalies in the development of individual organs and systems.

While still in the womb, the fetus may experience discomfort. In addition, very often the child’s nutrition is disrupted due to narrowing of blood vessels, in particular the umbilical cord. Special attention attention should be paid to the so-called alcohol syndrome in a child during birth, which is characterized by functional and morphological abnormalities in health.

To drink alcohol or not?

It is very difficult for the male body to completely give up alcohol. What to do in such a situation? The thing is that alcohol affects a man’s body not only negatively. With small amounts of it, there may be no changes in sexual function. According to experts, drinking a glass of wine a day has a positive effect on a man’s body. The problem is that not everyone likes wine. Men prefer vodka and beer. Today there are a lot of fakes (alcohol substitutes) on the alcoholic beverage market, the quality of which is very low. Drinking cheap alcohol is not recommended.

The effect of alcohol on conception - important aspect planning pregnancy and childbirth. There were a lot scientific research on this issue. Surveys of women were conducted, which revealed that most men who drank alcohol did not have any problems sexually, while abstainers had problems with potency. The fact is that such a positive effect is short-term and with systematic drinking of alcohol quickly passes.

The effects of alcohol on males, whether young or old, are almost always negative. Alcohol is a toxic compound. Its dose, which is relatively harmless to the human body, is 20-40 g. At higher concentrations, internal organs and cells, in particular the gonads and sperm, can be affected. It is they, along with brain cells, that are most susceptible to the effects of alcohol.

To avoid negative effects on sperm and the unborn fetus, planning is necessary. Both men and women should do this. In the event that a man cannot comply with prohibition, then such drinks can only be consumed in small quantities.

The quality of the raw materials matters. If you follow all the listed rules, you can conduct a full-fledged sex life and not be afraid for your health and that of your unborn child.

Pregnancy is one of the most significant events in the life of a married couple, and it is also important stage of development future child. Before deciding to take such a responsible step, you need to competently and radically regulate the future parents’ ties with alcohol.

Alcohol and conception are not a good cocktail

Before sex, many young people are tempted to add a couple of glasses or glasses of alcohol to the cocktail of feelings, sensations and experiences for a boost. Alas, few of them know that alcohol is a common cause:

• unplanned pregnancy;
• deformities and pathologies in the unborn child;
• psychological disorders associated with damage to the nervous system;
• serious illnesses in a child, such as heart disease, cerebral palsy, developmental delays, etc.

It happens that mature people do not take into account all the possible dangers lurking in a glass of champagne. Therefore, the choice made in favor of prior consultation with a medical specialist is the only the right decision , in our difficult environmental and socio-psychological living conditions.

IMPORTANT! Pregnancy is the result of a responsible decision by a couple, which significantly and directly affects the life and health of the unborn child, as well as the happiness of the entire family.

The effect of alcohol on reproductive cells

In the process of the birth of a new life, in other words, in sexual intercourse, there are 2 actors- Man and woman. And they are equally bear responsibility for the readiness of your body during conception and the health of your unborn child.

In men

There is a misconception that the effect of alcohol on the conception of a child in men, drinking immediately before sexual intercourse, does not have a negative effect on sperm. Because 3-month-olds are involved in conception. However, research has proven that alcohol affects on immediately.

Drinking alcoholic beverages has an indirect effect. Alcohol promotes decrease in efficiency barriers and filters that purify the blood.

Harmful substances and microorganisms, weakened by alcohol, enter the sperm through the blood and as a result: the number increases, and the healthy ones slow down. Thus, probability of achieving increases significantly.

Among women

The female body is designed on a completely different principle. All “drunk” parties before menstruation affect the conception of a child in women and increase the likelihood of illness in future offspring, and this negative effect tends to accumulate.

Every woman has something limited from birth. And all the harmful factors that affect the body also affect these cells. And the alcoholic drinks that the expectant mother drinks just before conception, have almost no effect.

CAREFULLY! Alcohol can cause blockage of the fallopian tube, which can lead to an ectopic pregnancy.

How long should you stop drinking before conceiving?

Unfortunately, Russia today is one of the most drinking countries in the world. More than 60% of the population drinks alcohol daily; according to statistics, men do this more often than women.

To a man

A drinking man, in order to cleanse the body of toxins and minimize the negative effect of alcohol on alcohol, must not drink at least 70 days before conception. But some doctors insist on 4–6 months. If a man rarely drinks alcohol (several times a year), then this period can be reduced.

Frequent ejaculation during the period of abstinence from alcohol will be useful: it will allow you to get rid of

To a woman

Doctors recommend that women planning pregnancy abstain from drinking alcohol for 3–4 menstrual cycles before conception. In their opinion, this period is sufficient to minimize the negative effect.

Preparing for conception and cleansing the body

Toxins that occur in the human body after drinking alcohol accumulate. To conceive a healthy child, their concentration in the blood must be reduced. Most effective ways make this time and abstain from alcohol. There is no need to drink activated charcoal or a decoction of chamomile roots for 2 months before conception. This doesn't make any sense.

But perhaps supplemented with vitamins and compiled by a qualified doctor after consultation is what you need. Without a doubt, they will prescribe you

The health of children is the most important thing for parents. And caring for him begins long before the baby is born. Unfortunately, pregnancy planning promoted by doctors is not implemented very often. Therefore, there are often situations when, having learned about pregnancy, a woman remembers with horror that in the last weeks before conception and on the very day when it happened, both she and the child’s father led a completely unrighteous lifestyle, drinking alcohol. Will alcohol consumed by his parents (or one of them) affect the baby? An unambiguous answer to the question of whether it influences or not " drunken conception“on the health of the unborn child does not exist today. And yet, let’s try to choose from the many theories and assumptions that are closest to the truth.

Background

Most experts in the field of hygiene and health education believe that of all the toxic substances that can impair the physical and mental development offspring, alcohol plays a leading role. The negative impact of parental drunkenness on offspring was known back in ancient times. Greek mythology tells that the goddess Hera gave birth to the lame god Hephaestus from the intoxicated Zeus. In Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome, drinking undiluted wine was considered the height of shame.

The problem of “drunk conception” was considered extremely urgent and requiring mandatory and unconditional resolution. The legislator of Sparta, Lycurgus, proposed castrating drunkards who were of reproductive age. And the philosopher Plutarch obtained government permission to write the phrase “Drunkards give birth to drunkards” on the houses of alcoholics, and matchmakers avoided these houses. There are also national traditions, according to which it is strictly forbidden for the bride and groom to drink at the wedding, and for the young man - until he starts his own family. The strictest laws regarding alcohol exist to this day in the countries of the East, among Muslims. But some European countries are no less determined: for example, the Finns, by court order, are sterilizing their worst drunkards.

But here, of course, we are talking about alcoholics. What if the parents allowed themselves only a couple of glasses of wine or a bottle of beer, but this happened precisely “around conception”? Does this really threaten the unborn child with the terrible consequences that alcohol can cause?

"Drunk conception" and its consequences

In the process of conception, which gives rise to a new life, the fusion of the paternal and maternal germ cells occurs. And, undoubtedly, a lot depends on the conditions in which these cells developed, what pathological factors acted on them. Scientists have long debated whether a man's intake of alcohol immediately before conception can affect the health of the unborn baby. Proponents of the theory that there is no connection between these facts are based on the fact that the process of sperm maturation lasts about 3 months, which means that “old” cells that are not spoiled by alcohol are involved in conception. However, recent studies by Canadian doctors have confirmed the opposite point of view. It has been found that alcohol has an almost immediate effect on the spermatic fluid, which maintains the viability of sperm. Normally, the sperm of healthy non-drinking men contains up to 25% of pathological sperm (indicators of a normal spermogram), but their chances of participating in conception are much lower than those of healthy germ cells. However, after drinking alcohol, the chances of healthy and pathological cells are almost equal! The result of this can be disastrous: the egg is fertilized by a defective sperm, and the child is born with various abnormalities caused by genetic defects.

The maturation of the egg in a woman’s body occurs every month and lasts from the beginning of menstruation until ovulation - the process of the release of the egg from the ovary into abdominal cavity, and then - in fallopian tube, where fertilization most often occurs. Next, the fertilized egg moves to the uterus and is implanted into its lining (this process is called implantation, and the movement of the fertilized egg before implantation - the pre-implantation period - lasts about 5-6 days). Just like the development of sperm in a man, the process of egg maturation in a woman can be influenced by various factors, including alcohol. However, deformities do not occur during the preimplantation period; in other words, alcohol consumed by a mother during the period from the beginning of her last menstrual period to conception is unlikely to harm her unborn child.

But after this short period, the embryo becomes extremely sensitive to all harmful factors, which can lead to both its death and the occurrence of severe deformities and diseases if the fetus remains alive. A pregnant woman, even with all her desire, cannot drink “alone”: the expectant mother will always be accompanied by an unborn child. Both the alcohol itself (ethanol) and its breakdown products, such as acetaldehyde, have a damaging effect on the fetus. Ethanol leads to spasm of the blood vessels of 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, leading to changes in the genetic material (DNA), which causes various deformities. Alcohol disrupts the exchange of vitamins and hormones in the tissues and organs of the fetus. The central nervous system is especially sensitive to it, which subsequently causes intellectual and behavioral disorders in the child. Alcohol consumption by a woman during pregnancy significantly increases the risk of miscarriage, low birth weight babies, 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, retardation 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 impossible to treat.

To drink or not to drink?

A reasonable question arises: does the severity of the 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 consequences of alcohol exposure on the fetus. According to research, daily intake of 30 grams of alcohol or other alcoholic drinks by a pregnant woman in terms of alcohol (see table) is associated with a high risk of developing fetal alcohol syndrome in the child. But there is no single dose of alcohol that is safe for everyone! It was revealed that fetal alcohol syndrome also occurred in children whose mothers consumed only 3-5 g of alcohol daily. The harmfulness of alcohol to the fetus depends on the characteristics of the mother’s body in processing alcohol and 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), pregnancy period and many other points. Of course, don't panic if you drink a glass of dry wine or half a can of beer once or twice during your pregnancy. However, if this has become part of your system, the risk of falling into one of the “critical periods”, when the fetus’s sensitivity to external factors is especially high, increases many times over. And such a whim can cost not only physical and mental health, but even the life of your child. The fact is obvious: it is unwise to expose the fetus to even minimal risk. Therefore, the recommendations of most doctors remain very categorical: drinking alcohol during pregnancy should be completely avoided! It’s even better for future parents to stop drinking alcohol in the period preceding conception (at least 3 months before it).

In contrast to these facts, one of the large studies conducted in Denmark found that women who drank 1-2 glasses of dry wine per day before pregnancy became pregnant on average two times faster than “teetotalers” and “alcoholics”, and the incidence of their various complications of pregnancy and childbirth were lower than in other groups. The researchers themselves cannot yet give a full explanation of the data obtained, suggesting that wine in moderate quantities (no more than 150 g per day) has a stabilizing effect on the hormonal system of women and has some relaxing effects.

However, it should be taken into account that the Danish women studied drank small amounts of alcohol only before conception, and not during pregnancy, i.e. during the period when the egg and embryo are least sensitive to alcohol. This led to the conclusion that a woman’s consumption of alcohol before conception does not affect conception itself. Alcohol has no place in the body of a pregnant woman! Back in 1988, Professor Matthew Kaufman showed that the same changes were found in the cells of human miscarriages aged six to eight weeks as in mouse embryos exposed to alcohol. This means that alcohol can harm the fetus after conception.

Of course, nature itself seeks to protect humanity from the consequences of alcoholism. Women who drink one to two units of alcohol per day during the first three months of pregnancy appear to have twice the risk of miscarriage in the second trimester of pregnancy compared to non-drinkers. Often the causes of miscarriages in the early stages of pregnancy in this case are various genetic anomalies and developmental disorders, some of which may be a consequence of the effects of alcohol. Thus, no matter how blasphemous it sounds, according to the laws of nature, pathological genetic material is “rejected”. Summarizing the results of the conversation, we can draw the following conclusions:

• Mother's consumption of alcohol before conception and in the first week after it in most cases does not affect the health of the unborn child.
• After pregnancy (from the moment when the fertilized egg has implanted into the uterine mucosa), even a small amount of alcohol consumed by a woman can be fatal for her unborn child. The toxic dose of alcohol is individual in each case.
• Alcohol consumed by a man 2-3 months before conception and on the day of conception has a detrimental effect on the physical and especially mental health of his offspring.

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 influences, including alcohol. Remember that we are talking about the health of children, which should not be risked.

Chelebi Gagaev
obstetrician-gynecologist, candidate of medical sciences, associate professor of the department of obstetrics and gynecology of RUDN University

Discussion

And the andrologist told us that alcohol is not so scary - and healthy children are born to drunks. But smoking - especially among men - is a scourge. Nicotine has a destructive effect on DNA and the damage cannot be restored.

When Nastya became pregnant, I didn’t try anything stronger than champagne, ex-husband still only drinks wine and then once every six months, before conception he was at sea there they don’t drink, and I never went anywhere without him, he just started smoking, as a result the child is disabled, has a congenital pathology of the spine, one lung is missing . My brother is a chronic alcoholic, I only remember him when he was drunk, his daughter was born smart and beautiful.

A friend of mine had an abortion only because she saw a poster about drunken conception in LCD while she was sitting in line to see a doctor to confirm her pregnancy. 20 years have passed and she is still suffering - what if everything would have worked out.
I’ll tell you about myself - it so happened that the beginning of all my pregnancies occurred on some grandiose holidays. If you plan not to drink at all, this advice is suitable for those who become pregnant after 1-2 cycles. and when you’ve been planning for years, why now never allow yourself a drink of liquor?

One question torments me. It so happened that the pregnancy was not planned. I found out when it was 2 weeks. Coincidentally (I didn’t know I was pregnant) I drank wine several times - one birthday after another and a Bermix once.
I don’t want to have an abortion because I am already 29 years old and this is my first pregnancy.
What to do!!! I told the doctor, but she just laughed(((and I’m worried. It turns out that I poisoned the child for the first two weeks((((

What to do.....

Thank you for the article, which was useful in all respects. But if your husband likes to drink or has a lot of friends who drink (which is basically the same thing), then he needs to read this himself, or are you the only one thinking about the offspring? Now, if he wants a baby, let him not drink for 3 months - the sperm will be healthy, and then let him celebrate the victory of reason over alcohol for at least 9 months. And then, when he becomes a dad, there will be no time to visit guests, and there’s no reason to, because this is such happiness - A HEALTHY CHILD!

There’s something I don’t understand... And if the husband doesn’t like to deny himself anything, he can drink on a holiday, at a party, or for any reason... He’s not an alcoholic, but he has a lot of friends... And believe me, it’s good , If a week will pass without alcohol, but more often beer, vodka, gin and tonic in moderate quantities happen once or even twice a week, so why can I forget about the offspring????

The article is certainly useful, but from a medical point of view it is not entirely correct.
First, everything a woman consumes first passes through her liver. And no metabolites from a small amount of alcohol (such as 100g of dry wine) will reach the baby.
Secondly, the blood vessels of the placenta should not narrow if it has developed correctly: the placenta completely displaces muscle fibers, and even when the mother is stressed, the fetus is supplied with maximum blood.
If there are deviations, then the lack of oxygen can of course get worse.
The main factor is still different.
Majority premature birth and miscarriages occur due to chronic stress of the mother.
Women, don’t worry or be scared of what they tell you, please yourself, don’t take handfuls of pills, if you are healthy, AND EVERYTHING WILL BE GOOD!
Nature took care of it!

Great article! Briefly covers all positions, giving future parents a choice.

What should I do if my other half allows me to drink, but I don’t... we didn’t plan, but I’m pregnant...
Isn't it dangerous that my husband was drinking...??? Yes, but I'm 34 years old and I don't have children..?

06/08/2008 01:03:41, Arina Egorova

I think this is a very useful article, especially for young people.

Mi s muzhem planiryem beremennost", s 1go raza ne poluchilos", no ya ne rasstraevaus" ponimau chto tak bivaet, no vot posle etoi stat"i po povody alkogolya mne stalo strashno, myzh regylyarno p"et pivo, bivalo i po krepche i sovsem nedavno. Sovetyete otlozhit" zachatie na pary mesyacev?

Moja podruga pila vino i pivo na protjajenii vsej beremennosti(v umerennyh kollichestvah,ne do opjanenija konechno), rodila zdorovogo,krasivogo malysha.Mojet ej prosto ochen povezlo,no skoree vsego zdes igraet rol kollichestvo alkogolja.Esli po t-ja dumaju It's not dangerous.

Comment on the article "Conception and alcohol are incompatible things"

My husband drank before conception. A vital decision needs to be made. There are many different articles on the Internet, but all this is information in general. Please share your experience. There are people here whose husband so happened to drink regularly before and (or) during conception.

Discussion

It’s really not clear what drinking means? A couple of glasses of wine? A couple of beers? Or half a liter of vodka daily? In the first and second cases, if it meant anything, France and the Czech Republic would not have existed a long time ago, they would have died out completely. In the third case, of course, there may be problems.

Antibiotic BEFORE conception. Medical issues. Pregnancy planning. No, it’s written below that the egg divides only after reuniting with sperm. and I think in theory, we carry all the eggs within us from birth, then it turns out that everything...

Discussion

It depends on what antibiotic, if amoxicillin, for example, then in 99% of cases nothing will happen, but if it’s something from the tetracycline family, then the child may have problems with teeth (I read this somewhere in a smart magazine a long time ago)

I tried to find some information on this issue on the internet. Here's something interesting I found: approved antibiotics during pregnancy and lactation
http://www.provisor.-com.ua/archive/2004/-N1/art_16.htm
After reading the table, I calmed down a little and stopped worrying so much :)

These diseases most likely will not have a direct impact on conception, but the predisposition to most of them is inherited and can sometimes greatly affect the influence of alcohol on conception in no case should it be ignored.

And in general, does a cold affect egg maturation and ovulation? Conception is a mystery and a calculation. But we have the power to influence this day to come sooner or later. 2. Maturation in the ovary of an egg capable of fertilization, ovulation, entry...

Discussion

Pregnant women also take medications, so I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it :) If you’re really worried, you can look in the instructions for the drug to see if there are any contraindications during pregnancy, or ask your doctor. In general, on the 10th day after fertilization, the egg attaches to the wall of the uterus, and only then begins to eat at the expense of the mother (and from that moment until the end of the first trimester dangerous period for all excesses and medicines), and until this moment it feeds on the corpus luteum. So don't let your friend worry. But even if the medications had a negative effect (although I doubt it), then, as Et Setera wrote, such an egg will be removed by the body itself.

At this point, it’s either hit or miss. If pregnancy occurs, it is normal. The affected egg will not survive.

fluorography and conception. Preparing for conception. Does anyone know how fluorography affects the egg and sperm? If we were going to plan this cycle and we both have to go through this procedure, should we skip this cycle? or, if conception is not yet...

Discussion

Theoretically, it is believed that fluorography is not harmful during pregnancy. But practically, it is better to avoid any negative impacts. I wouldn't do it.

If you do, you can plan already in the next cycle, because In each new cycle, a new egg matures. And although it accumulates all the “harmfulness” of its previous life, the most teratogenic (roughly speaking, damaging) effect is exerted by drugs taken precisely during its growth, i.e. approximately 14 days before ovulation.

But if you do it to your husband, then skipping 1 month makes no sense. Either there is nothing to miss at all, or if you really do, then for 2-3 months. Because The life cycle of sperm is up to 3 months. After 3 months, sperm is completely renewed.

Science says that drinking alcohol while preparing for pregnancy is prohibited. Many do not even think, succumbing to temporary pleasure, how drunken conception can affect. And only after the fact of pregnancy is confirmed, future parents begin to worry about how alcohol affects the body during conception. In our article we will try to understand the consequences of conceiving while intoxicated, and we will also separately consider the effect of alcohol on conceiving a child in men, women and on the unborn baby.

Alcohol and male reproductive function

The health of a child is established in the womb. And everyone knows that the state of health of mom and dad, their genetics, have a direct impact on the formation of the fetus. The underlying genetic mutations, as well as the influence of existing diseases in the parents, have a deplorable effect on the unborn baby.

Men are more negligent about this, thinking that if they are not the ones to bear the baby, then there is nothing to worry about. Often, a man does not think about whether it is possible to drink alcohol during the period of conception and how drunken conception affects himself (as a carrier of the gene pool) and the unborn child. In our society, most men believe that taking care of children and taking care of health is a purely female prerogative, and their task is only to earn money.

Let's look at how alcohol affects the ability to fertilize, what happens to male sperm with and without alcohol intoxication. A healthy man who does not drink alcohol at all has a 25% deviation in his spermogram. This means that only a quarter of sperm are not capable of fertilization. At the same time, in a man who drinks alcohol, the number of sperm incapable of fertilization increases significantly. This is explained by the fact that ethanol, once in the seminal fluid, causes a number of irreversible pathological changes. As a result of this, deviations are formed in the chromosomes of male germ cells.

Even if only the man drinks alcohol during conception, there is a high risk that the egg will be fertilized by a defective, abnormal sperm, which will lead to a serious genetic mutation in the child.

Attention! The amount of alcohol in the blood is directly proportional to its content in the seminal fluid. Thus, the more alcohol a man drinks, the higher the risk of conceiving an unhealthy child.

Alcohol and female reproductive function

All the eggs that will mature every month in a woman are laid before she is born. Their number decreases with each menstrual cycle and new ones are not formed, which is fundamentally different from the formation of male sperm. Only one egg matures every month, and its formation is influenced by several factors.

Ethanol is one of the few poisons that can penetrate the ovaries and cause irreparable harm to the gene pool. Under its influence, irreversible changes occur in chromosomes. And if a woman regularly or long time, even in small quantities, consumed alcohol, then this affects conception not with the best side. In addition, alcohol has a “cumulative” effect on the female reproductive system, and changes in chromosomes cannot be treated. Those eggs that are damaged by ethanol will remain in the body until they are released with menstruation or fertilized.

If conception does occur, the egg may not attach well to the wall of the uterus, thereby increasing the risk spontaneous miscarriage. This may simply not be noticed by the woman, and the fertilized egg will simply be released with menstrual blood, or heavy bleeding or heavy menstruation may begin.

If the egg is attached to the wall of the uterus, then cell division and fetal formation begins. Vital organs, the brain, skeletal system, spinal cord. Alcohol consumed before conception can create gene mutations, as a result of which the child may be born with disabilities, severe mental illness, or underdeveloped.

It should be remembered that alcohol is eliminated from a man’s body for at least a day after the last drink, and in a woman it takes two days. During this period, it is strictly not recommended to conceive a child. And, given the natural characteristics of female eggs, women of childbearing age are not recommended to drink alcohol at all.

Information: It has been scientifically proven that even the smallest amounts of ethanol are harmful to the fetus, at any stage of its development. The myth about the benefits of red wine for a pregnant woman has long been debunked, and its harmful effects have been proven. However, many still continue to believe in this, succumbing more to their sense of pleasure from alcohol than to common sense.

Possible pathologies from alcohol

Conception that occurs while at least one of the parents is intoxicated can cause the following disorders in children:

• Low weight in a newborn (often observed in children of alcoholics);
• The child’s height is too short (in comparison with peers);
• Underdevelopment of organs;
• Central nervous system disorders:
  • Unfused spinal canal;
  • Underdeveloped brain (manifested in intellectual and neurological disorders of children);
• Fetal hypoxia;
• Dysfunction of the umbilical cord, placenta;
• DNA disorders that cause disabling conditions, the most common of which are:
  • On the part of the internal organs - defects of the genital organs, joints, heart defects in children;
  • On the side of the face – shortened bridge of the nose, underdevelopment of the lower jaw;
  • From the side of the body - disproportionality in the size of the head and limbs.

Allowable amount of alcohol during pregnancy

Many, especially young, couples are wondering how much alcohol they can drink before sexual intercourse, before conception. It is important to set your priorities correctly here. First, figure out what is more important to you: momentary fun and pleasure under the influence of alcohol, or the birth and life of your baby? How comparable are these things, alcohol and having children?

One thing is certain - there is not even a minimum dose of alcohol, the intake of which is permissible during conception. Alcohol affects conception even in the amount of 3 grams of ethylene, and this amount is already destructive. Alcohol during conception and pregnancy is contraindicated. For the same reason, pregnant women are prohibited from taking medications containing alcohol.

The effect of alcohol on the body of an adult depends on its individual characteristics. Some people can easily tolerate one glass of beer, but for others, 50 grams of a low-alcohol drink is enough to develop anomalies and pathologies. There is no alcohol limit that can be called harmless.

Attention! Even the smallest amount of alcohol can ruin the life of your unborn child.

If you drank alcohol at the time of conception

If you or your partner drank alcohol before, during or after conception, then first of all you need to decide how much you drank. Takes into account: day, week and last month. In the absence of alcohol dependence, there is a fairly high chance of giving birth to a healthy baby.

Immediately after conception, you must adhere to the following rules:

1. Mandatory consultation with an obstetrician-gynecologist. Go through all clinical and laboratory tests, and the man have a spermogram. When you see your doctor, honestly tell them that you or your partner was drunk at the time of conception, and also clarify the amount of alcohol you drank that day or the day before;
2. Completely stop taking alcoholic beverages and medications containing alcohol;
3. Increase the consumption of easily digestible protein foods;
4. Avoid eating fast food, as well as red meat, raw milk, margarine and other heavy fats;
5. Start taking a multivitamin made specifically for pregnant women. They contain maximum iron and folic acid;
6. Walk more fresh air, exercise adequately and regularly for pregnant women;
7. Quit smoking completely. Cigarettes, no less negatively than alcohol, can affect the development of the fetus;
8. Avoid or minimize the consumption of caffeinated drinks;
9. Monitor your well-being, more positive emotions. Do not take part in stressful situations, quarrels and conflicts.

Note! If you are going to conceive a baby, you should completely give up bad habits, eating poor quality food and alcohol 3-6 months before the date of conception.