Southern Arizona Online, a publication of the Tucson Citizen

Small amounts of alcohol can hurt

No one knows just how much is too much.
But studies show that small amounts of alcohol can damage the developing brain.
Dr. Mary Johnson, a neurologist in the pediatrics department at University Medical Center, has discovered that relatively small amounts of alcohol can have a devastating effect on Schwann's cells, or helper cells, that are critical in helping the brain process information.
"The Schwann's cells provide an insulation that helps the nerve impulses to travel much faster," Johnson said. "These helper cells are important in how the nerve cell attains its normal function."
Johnson and her team of researchers have discovered in laboratory experiments using small amounts of rat brain tissue that alcohol kills the cells.
"It's scary as all get out," Johnson said. "When alcohol was involved, we saw huge decreases in the number of helper cells. The alcohol is killing them. The cell death caught everyone by surprise. These cells are meant to divide. They either go into two cells or they die. Alcohol sends them down the death road instead of the division road."
Johnson believes small amounts of alcohol may prevent neurons from fully developing.
"Outright cell death can occur at one-tenth the DUI level, even with one drink," she said.
More and more pieces of information indicate that very low amounts of alcohol - 0.01 to 0.025 blood alcohol content - might affect brain function, Johnson said.
In Arizona, a person with a blood alcohol content of 0.10 is considered legally drunk.
"It doesn't take a lot to affect some very important neurological functions," she said.
Many women believe drinking in early pregnancy is dangerous, but feel comfortable drinking in the second and third trimesters.
Heavy drinking in early pregnancy causes abnormal facial features and damage to the frontal lobes, which are connected with impulse control and performing successfully on the job and in life.
"But some of the most complex developmental stages in the brain occur later in pregnancy, and they can be greatly affected by alcohol," Johnson said. "The nervous system is very, very vulnerable in the second and third trimesters."
New information shows that binge drinking on a couple of occasions can seriously damage a developing brain, Johnson said.
She said there is also a question of the lingering effect of alcohol, and it may be best to stop drinking months before trying to get pregnant.
"I've come to the conclusion over the last several years that women just shouldn't drink when they are pregnant, or even if they are considering getting pregnant," Johnson said.

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