Adolescent Substance Abuse Articles
Drinking during pregnancy may pose risks to a child's development
By Staff Writer
When a mother consumes alcohol during pregnancy, her child is at risk for developing fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Individuals with this condition may develop physical, behavioral and learning problems.
However, scientists are not entirely sure how a mother's alcohol consumption relates to the development of this disorder in her offspring. To learn more, researchers from the University of California San Francisco conducted a study on the effects of fetal alcohol syndrome using fruit flies.
The insects were exposed to alcohol during development, which caused them to grow at a slower pace, develop smaller brains and display abnormal behavior. In adulthood, these same fruit flies were also more sensitive to the effects of alcohol. The researchers also found that these problems were caused in part by alcohol's interference with the function of insulin.
As researchers expected, fruit flies that were exposed to greater amounts of alcohol had more severe developmental issues. Though there are many differences between humans and fruit flies, the researchers believe that analogies can be drawn between the effects alcohol can have on individuals during different stages of development, especially in youth.
To avoid potentially harmful effects on an unborn child's development, pregnant mothers with an addiction to alcohol may want to seek substance abuse help.
