Alcohol during pregnancy: no safe amount

• About 10% of women worldwide drink during pregnancy.
• Fetal alcohol syndrome: about 15 per 10,000 children; about 1 in 67 women who drank in pregnancy had a child with FAS.
• There is no safe amount and no safe time.
• FASDs are completely preventable.

What the research shows

A global systematic review and meta-analysis estimated that about 10% of women drink alcohol during pregnancy. The prevalence of fetal alcohol syndrome was about 15 per 10,000 people, and about 1 in 67 women who drank during pregnancy delivered a child with fetal alcohol syndrome (Popova et al., 2017). In the U.S., CDC surveys find that about 1 in 7 pregnant women report drinking and about 1 in 20 report binge drinking.

What FASDs are

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders include fetal alcohol syndrome and other conditions affecting:

• growth;
• facial features;
• learning, memory and attention;
• behavior and social skills;
• the heart, kidneys and bones.

The effects are lifelong, but early diagnosis and support improve outcomes.

Recommendation

There is no known safe amount, type or time of alcohol use during pregnancy. If you are pregnant or could become pregnant, the safest choice is not to drink. Alcohol is also a carcinogen for adults (Bagnardi et al., 2015).