We have said that smoking and also that not eating a balanced diet during pregnancy can increase the chances of the baby developing cleft lip or palate, a malformation that occurs when the tissues that form the upper lip or palate are not closed properly .
Folic acid is essential to prevent it, as well as Avoid drinking alcohol, especially distilled beverages followed by wine and beer, according to a study by researchers at the University of Iowa.
They found that compulsive consumption of this type of alcohol (4 or 5 drinks in a row) in the month prior to conception and in the first trimester of pregnancy increased the risk of facial fissures, more among women who had not taken folic acid.
The study authors explained that alcohol inhibits the effect of folic acid by functioning as a folate antagonist, an essential vitamin that is recommended to be taken before conception and during the first stage of pregnancy and that helps prevent congenital malformations such as cleft lip. and spina bifida.
Although the study is not conclusive and there is still more evidence to establish a direct relationship between alcohol and babies born with a cleft lip, as we have already mentioned several times in the blog, it is preferable not to consume a single drop of alcohol to From the moment you start looking for a baby.
It is a small effort that you must make for the health of your future child.
