Alcohol and pregnancy

Information

When a pregnant woman drinks alcohol, the alcohol travels through her blood and into the baby's blood, tissues, and organs. That means when a pregnant mom has a glass of wine, her baby has a glass of wine, too.

Drinking alcohol can harm the baby's development. Alcohol breaks down much more slowly in the baby's body than in an adult. That means the baby's blood alcohol level remains increased longer than the mother's. This is very dangerous, and can sometimes lead to lifelong damage.

Dangers of Alcohol During Pregnancy

Drinking a lot of alcohol during pregnancy can lead to fetal alcohol syndrome in the baby. Fetal alcohol syndrome refers to a group of birth defects found in children born to mothers who drink too much alcohol. Symptoms can include:

• Behavior and attention problems
• Heart defects
• Changes in the shape of the face
• Poor growth before and after birth
• Poor muscle tone and problems with movement and balance
• Problems with thinking and speech
• Learning problems

These medical problems are lifelong and can range from mild to severe.

Complications seen in the infant may include:

• Cerebral palsy
• Premature delivery
• Miscarriage or stillbirth

How Much Alcohol is Dangerous?

There is no known "safe" amount of alcohol use during pregnancy. Alcohol use appears to be the most harmful during the first 3 months of pregnancy; however, drinking alcohol anytime during pregnancy can be harmful.

Alcohol includes beer, wine, wine coolers, and liquor.

One drink is defined as:

• 12 oz of beer
• 5 oz of wine
• 1.5 oz of liquor

How much you drink is just as important as how often you drink.

• Even if you don't drink often, drinking a large amount at one time can be quite harmful to the baby.
• Binge drinking (5 or more drinks on one occasion) greatly increases a baby's risk of alcohol-related damage.
• Drinking moderate amounts of alcohol when pregnant may lead to miscarriage.
• Heavy drinkers (those who drink more than 2 alcoholic beverages a day) are at greater risk of giving birth to a child with fetal alcohol syndrome.
• The more you drink, the more you raise your baby's risk for harm.

Do Not Drink During Pregnancy

Women who are pregnant or who are trying to get pregnant should avoid drinking any amount of alcohol. The only way to prevent fetal alcohol syndrome is to not drink alcohol during pregnancy.

If you did not know you were pregnant and drank alcohol, stop drinking as soon as you find out. While it is unlikely that the occasional drink you took before finding out you were pregnant will harm your baby, the sooner you stop drinking alcohol, the healthier your baby will be.

Try replacing alcoholic drinks with their nonalcoholic counterparts: for example, you might opt for a nonalcoholic pina colada instead of the real thing.

If you cannot control your drinking, avoid eating or drinking around people who are drinking alcohol.

Pregnant women with alcoholism should join an alcohol abuse rehabilitation program and be checked closely by a health care provider throughout pregnancy.

The following organizations may offer assistance:

• National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependency -- www.ncadd.org
• Substance Abuse Treatment Facility Locator -- 1-800-662-4357

See also: Alcoholism - support group

Alternative Names

References

Stoll BJ. Metabolic disturbances. In: Kliegman RM, Behrman RE, Jenson HB, Stanton BF, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 18th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 106.

Bertrand J, Floyd LL, Weber MK. Guidelines for identifying and referring persons with fetal alcohol syndrome. MMWR Recomm Rep. 2005 Oct 28;54(RR-11):1-14.

Cunnigham FG, Leveno KL, Bloom SL, et al. Teratology and medications that affect the fetus. In: Cunnigham FG, Leveno KL, Bloom SL, et al, eds. Williams Obstetrics. 22nd ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill; 2005:chap 14.

Committee on Health Care for Underserved Women. Committee Opinion No. 496: At-risk drinking and alcohol dependence: Obstetric andgynecologic implications. Obstet Gynecol 2011;118:383–388.

Update Date: 2/26/2012

Updated by: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Medical Director and Director of Didactic Curriculum, MEDEX Northwest Division of Physician Assistant Studies, Department of Family Medicine, UW Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Washington. Susan Storck, MD, FACOG, Chief, Eastside Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound, Bellevue, Washington; Clinical Teaching Faculty, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.