Netherland: A new study discovered that a child’s facial features may change permanently after just one glass of alcohol every week during pregnancy, and it’s possible that their cognitive ability will as well.

Using 3D imagery and a deep learning algorithm, Dutch researchers examined 200 features in the faces of more than 5,600 school-aged youngsters. They discovered disparities between the children of moms who used alcohol while pregnant and those whose mothers did not.

Drinking just 12 grams of alcohol a week or one standard drink was linked to permanent alterations in the child’s face. Prenatal alcohol intake was linked to chins that protruded further compared to children of mothers who did not drink at all when pregnancy.

Moreover, a shorter nose that tilted up slightly and a small regression of the area below their eyes were linked to alcohol exposure in the womb. The facial alterations were more obvious the more alcohol the moms drank while pregnant.

The effect appeared to diminish with age, with the 13-year-old group’s facial changes being less noticeable than those of the nine-year-old group. The majority of pregnant women who drank did so in the three months prior to conception as well.

The condition known as a foetal alcohol spectrum disorder, which is characterised by alterations to a baby’s face, cognitive ability, and behaviour, is already thought to be caused by heavy drinking during pregnancy. Infants with this syndrome frequently have smaller eyes, an upturned nose, a very thin upper lip, smooth skin between the nose and the top lip (the philtrum), and other characteristics. They frequently experience difficulties in socialising, paying attention, and having memory problems.

For the first time, a recent study has examined weekly alcohol intake levels as low as 12 grammes. Health professionals contend that no amount of alcohol is thought to be completely risk-free for the development of an unborn kid

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