This happens when breastfeeding mothers drink alcohol

Alcohol in breast milk can have dire consequences for the child

The consumption of alcohol during pregnancy should, of course, generally be avoided. But how about drinking alcohol when mothers breastfeed their babies? Researchers have now found that consuming alcohol in nursing mothers causes their children to develop reduced thinking skills.

Researchers at Macquarie University in Sydney found that if nursing mothers consume alcohol, it negatively affects their thinking skills at the age of six to seven years. The physicians published the results of their study in the English-language journal "Pediatrics".

Why is alcohol problematic during breastfeeding??

It is believed by the experts that alcohol could harm babies 'brain cells or make nutmeg less nutritious, leading to deficiencies in the researchers' view. The safest option is to abstain completely from alcohol during pregnancy and breastfeeding, says study author Louisa Gibson from Macquarie University in Sydney. The current study suggests that there is no safe amount of alcohol for lactating women, as every extra drink causes a bit more damage.

How was the research done??

The researchers analyzed data from more than 5,000 mothers and babies born in 2004 for their study. The state of health of the adolescents was then assessed by the physicians every two years.

Alcohol affects breast milk

The results show that children's thinking abilities are not affected if their mothers drink during their childhood, but the children are not breastfed. This lack of association among babies who have never been breastfed suggests that the reduction in thinking skills was a direct result of alcohol in breast milk and was not due to other social aspects related to drinking, Gibson says.

Alcohol seems to affect the communication of the brain cells

Alcohol affects babies' ability to sleep and eat, which reduces their response to so-called environmental stimulants. This could affect communication between infants' brain cells, experts suggest. The results also suggest that smoking during breastfeeding does not affect adolescents' cognitive abilities. However, experts and critics argue that the latter is unlikely because it is known that cigarettes affect the health of the fetus. (As)