What are the effects of alcohol on a fetus during the very first weeks– before a woman would know that she was pregnant?
The pattern and timing of prenatal alcohol use can greatly influence the impact of adverse effects on the fetus. Chronic drinking and binge drinking are recognized as the most dangerous patterns of drinking. The pattern of drinking will partly determine the effects of alcohol on a fetus during the first weeks of pregnancy. Many body parts and organs are developing in the embryonic stage which is weeks 3 to 8. It is known that during the first 4 weeks of pregnancy, when most women are not aware that they are pregnant, the heart, CNS, eyes, arms, and legs of the fetus are developing. Also, different developing organ systems may be more vulnerable to damage at different stages of development.
