Don’t drink if you’re pregnant

Blue letter

Noluthando Mvezo, Langa

As a concerned citizen, I want to highlight my greatest fear and discomfort with the prevalence of Foetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder in South Africa. It is said that the disorder is higher in South Africa than elsewhere in the world.

This unfortunate situation happens when women drink alcohol during pregnancy, causing their babies to be born with birth defects and developmental disabilities. Babies exposed to alcohol in the womb can develop multiple disorders, which include a variety of physical, behavioural and learning problems.

Alcohol easily passes through the placenta and possibly harms the baby’s brain and other organs. As a country where alcohol abuse is rife, many babies are born in unhealthy conditions because of their mothers’ bad habits.

I sincerely implore pregnant mothers to refrain from drinking alcohol. I also urge community members to stand up and highlight this problem whenever they see a pregnant woman indulging in alcohol.

Alcohol traders must also stop selling alcohol to pregnant women. It takes a whole village to raise a child – therefore we must all work together to end this scourge.

To women out there, do not drink if you are pregnant because the damage you may be doing to your unborn child can never ever be reversed and you don’t want to live with that guilt for the rest of your life.

Do things right and save your unborn child.