I need a reply to my peers discussion post below. Just a couple of paragraphs.
Anthony Wilson posted Jul 4, 2024 12:30 PM
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Discussion 1
A 23-year-old woman presents to the OB-GYN office you work at. She was recently surprised to learn that she is pregnant. She estimates that she is about 8 weeks along. The woman tells you that she regularly drinks on the weekends with her friends. She asks you “Is that a problem? As long as I don’t drink very much, I can still have a drink occasionally while I’m pregnant, right?”
How would you answer her questions? I would explain to her that it is best practice to refrain from all alcohol use while pregnant. I would explain that there are risks to drinking alcohol while pregnant. One risk that is believed to be underdiagnosed is Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. Prenatal alcohol exposure affects neurodevelopment through various mechanisms such as oxidative damage cell death, changes in gene expression, and disturbances in neuronal migration and axon guidance. These issues alter developmental paths and are linked to deficits in cognition, executive function, memory, vision, hearing, motor skills, behavior, and social adaptation (Wozniak et al, 2019). Another risk that can be prevented by abstaining from alcohol use while pregnant is the effects of alcohol on the fetus such as the fact that alcohol passes quickly through the placenta into fetal organs including the developing brain. This exposure causes immediate toxic effects such as cell death from oxidative stress or mitochondrial damage and leads to lasting teratogenic effects disrupting cell cycles and cell proliferation throughout development (Chung et al, 2021). I would then reinforce that alcohol consumption while pregnant of any amount should be steered clear of.
What types of abnormalities can be caused by alcohol, and how does genetics influence this? Alcohol can produce several abnormalities ranging from alcohol liver disease, heart disease, brain damage, cancer, gastritis, and it affects mental health (Yale Medicine, 2024). Alcohol is attributed to the influence of many abnormalities if consumed while in certain stages of pregnancy. Also, several genes have been linked to the disposition of certain diseases. One study showed that enzymes like alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ADLH) are converted in the body to highly toxic acetaldehyde. Cytochrome P4502E1 (CYP2E1) and catalase are also responsible for acetaldehyde production from ethanol oxidation. Alcohol is catalyzed by the enzyme fatty acid ethyl ester (FAEE) synthase and leads to the creation of fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs), Which are implicated as mediators in ethanol-induced organ damage (Siomek-Gorecka et al, 2021). Alcohol also plays a large role in cell death causing a teratogenic effect thus influencing fetal abnormalities (Norris,2019).
References
Chung, D. D., Pinson, M. R., Bhenderu, L. S., Lai, M. S., Patel, R. A., & Miranda, R. C. (2021). Toxic and Teratogenic Effects of Prenatal Alcohol Exposure on Fetal Development, Adolescence, and Adulthood. International journal of molecular sciences, 22(16), 8785. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22168785
Norris, T. (2019). Porth’s pathophysiology: cncepts of altered health states (10 ed.). Wolters Kluwer.
Siomek-Gorecka, A., Dlugosz, A., & Czarnecki, D. (2021). The Molecular Basis of Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). Genetics, Epigenetics, and Nutrition in AUD: An Amazing Triangle. International journal of molecular sciences, 22(8), 4262. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22084262
Wozniak, J. R., Riley, E. P., & Charness, M. E. (2019). Clinical presentation, diagnosis, and management of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. The Lancet. Neurology, 18(8), 760–770. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1474-4422(19)30150-4
Yale Medicine. (2024). Alcohol use disorder. Yale Medicine. https://www.yalemedicine.org/conditions/alcohol-use-disorder#:~:text=People%20who%20drink%20too%20much%20alcohol%20are%20at,sleep%20problems%2C%20depression%2C%20and%20other%20mental%20health%20problems.
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