How Much Can I Drink if I am Pregnant?
Okay, so lets get this straight (and I am going to be flippant here)…for all of you searching my site for information on just how much alcohol you can drink while you are pregnant I will answer you.
National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome:
“No safe time. No safe amount. No safe alcohol. Period.”
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism: “While it is apparent that children who meet the criteria for FAS are born only to those mothers who consume large amounts of alcohol during pregnancy, studies have reported neurobehavioral deficits and intrauterine growth retardation in infants born to mothers who reported themselves to be moderate alcohol consumers during pregnancy.”
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
“Public health concern over the use of alcohol during pregnancy was first signaled in 1981 by the release of a public health advisory from the Office of the Surgeon General warning women who were pregnant or planning to become pregnant to abstain from alcohol use because of the potential risks to the fetus. Since that time the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued additional advisories in 1990 and 1995 reiterating that women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant should not drink alcohol.”
March of Dimes:“Research shows that even small amounts of alcohol can increase the risks of birth defects. So the safest choice is not to drink at all during your pregnancy.”
“In fact, it’s best to stop drinking before you try to become pregnant.
More from the March of Dimes: “No level of alcohol use during pregnancy has been proven safe. The March of Dimes recommends that a pregnant woman does not drink any alcohol – including beer, wine, wine coolers and hard liquor – throughout her pregnancy and while nursing.
“Drinking while pregnant can cause fetal alcohol syndrome,
United States Institute of Medicine (1996):
“Universal prevention intervention strives to ensure that all members of society understand that drinking alcohol can have hazardous consequences, particularly during pregnancy. The universal prevention message for FAS is a conservative one that encourages abstinence prior to conception and throughout pregnancy as the safest alternative.”
Mayo Clinic:“When you drink alcohol, it enters your bloodstream and can reach your developing fetus by crossing the placenta. Because a fetus metabolizes alcohol more slowly than an adult does, your developing baby’s blood alcohol concentrations are higher than those in your body. The presence of alcohol can impair optimal nutrition for your baby’s developing tissues and organs and can damage brain cells.”
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine: “Laboratory studies suggest that a single drinking binge by a pregnant woman can damage for life the brain of her unborn child.”
“Drinking in late pregnancy is really unsafe for the brain… One glass of wine at dinner is unlikely to cause the damage, but we cannot say that any added intake would be safe… The most prudent policy would be to have no alcohol during pregnancy.”
American Academy of Pediatrics (1993): “Fetal alcohol syndrome is one of the most common identifiable causes of mental retardation, with a worldwide incidence estimated to be 1.9 per 1000 livebirths. However, when children with less severe manifestations of the syndrome (FAE) are included, the estimated incidence may be as great as 1 in 300 livebirths. Evidence indicates, however, that physicians may not consistently inquire about alcohol use during pregnancy or recognize the full spectrum of the effects of prenatal exposure.”
“There is no established ’safe dose’ of alcohol for pregnant women.”
American Academy of Pediatrics (1998):
“FAS is the leading cause of mental retardation in newborns.”
“There is no safe level of alcohol consumption during pregnancy.”
“Even one drink risks the health of an unborn baby.”
“Pregnant? Don’t Drink. Period.”
