“Prenatal alcohol exposure is the leading preventable cause of birth defects, developmental disorders, and mental retardation in children”

- Journal of the National Association of Neonatal Nurses 2005

Q: How much alcohol is safe to drink during pregnancy?

A: Any amount of alcohol is unsafe for your unborn child. Even small amounts of alcohol can affect your child to some extent. The U.S. Surgeon General has issued the following “Warning: Pregnant woman should not consume alcohol in any amount.”

Q: Is there a safe time during pregnancy to drink alcohol? Like in the first or last 3-months?

A: As a fetus develops, the use of alcohol can cause significant problems such as brain damage and even death. During a pregnancy there are critical periods for development for each of the bodies organs and limbs. However, since the brain continues to develop through out the entire 9 months (and even after birth), there is no safe time during pregnancy to drink alcohol.

Q: How can drinking alcohol affect my baby?

A: Aside from the risk of severe mental retardation, significant physical birth defects can be attributed to alcohol use during pregnancy. Later on in his or her childhood, children whose mothers drank during pregnancy can have difficulty learning, and behavioral and social problems.

Q: But don’t you have to drink a lot of alcohol in order to hurt your child? I don’t get drunk, but I do like to have a glass or two with dinner.

A: Women who binge drink are at greater risk of having a child with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). FAS is a type of mental retardation with accompanying facial features (thin upper lip, flat mid face, small head and ears). However, even small amounts of alcohol can damage the brain of a developing fetus and lead to a Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). Children with FASD are often undiagnosed and can experience a broad range of behavioral and neurological disabilities including: attention deficit, learning disabilities, problems with reasoning and judgment, hyperactivity and lack appreciation for logical consequences for their actions.

Q: Where can I get more information?

A: You can watch our curriculum here.

Or check out any of the following resources:

March of Dimes

California Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Association

National AIA Resource Center

The Hospital for Sick Children

YouTUBE Video by the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Support Network