Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can change the structure of a baby's brain

A new MRI study from the Medical University of Vienna, Austria, shows that even small or moderate amounts of alcohol consumption during pregnancy can alter a baby's brain structure and slow brain development
.
The results will be presented at
this year's annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America.

Drinking alcohol during pregnancy exposes the fetus to a group of disorders called fetal alcohol spectrum disorder
.
Babies born with FASD may develop learning disabilities, behavioral problems, or language delays
.

For the study, researchers analyzed MRIs of 24 fetuses who were prenatally exposed to alcohol
.
At the time of the examination, the gestational age of these fetuses was between
22 and 36 weeks.
In alcohol-exposed fetuses, the total fetal maturity score was significantly lower than that of an age-matched control group, with a shallow
right superior temporal sulcus.
The right superior temporal sulcus is related to social cognition, audiovisual integration and language perception, especially its formation has a great influence
on language development in childhood.

Studies have found that the fetus's brain changes even
at low levels of alcohol exposure.
Seventeen of the 24 mothers drank relatively little, drinking an average of less than one drink per week, but were able to detect significant changes
in these fetuses based on prenatal MRI.

According to the researchers, delayed fetal brain development may be associated with
delayed myelination phases in the brain, as well as less pronounced gyration in the frontal and occipital lobes.
The myelination process is essential
for the functioning of the brain and nervous system.
Myelin protects nerve cells, allowing them to transmit information
faster.
Important developmental milestones in infants, such as tumbling, crawling, and language processing, are directly related
to myelination formation.

Gyrus refers to the formation
of folds in the cerebral cortex.
This folding expands the cortical surface area where space in the skull is limited, thereby improving cognitive performance
.
When the cyclotron is weakened, the function is also reduced
.

Researchers say that pregnant women should strictly avoid alcohol, and even small amounts of alcohol can lead to structural changes in fetal brain development and delay brain maturation
.
(Edited by Li Chuang)