{"id":10058,"date":"2019-01-24T03:56:40","date_gmt":"2019-01-24T08:56:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.oviahealth.com\/guide\/10058\/alcohol-during-pregnancy\/"},"modified":"2025-02-21T14:41:05","modified_gmt":"2025-02-21T19:41:05","slug":"alcohol-during-pregnancy","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/www.oviahealth.com\/guide\/10058\/alcohol-during-pregnancy\/","title":{"rendered":"Alcohol during pregnancy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As social media reports and conclusions swirl around this topic, you may have read that some amount of alcohol is a low-risk choice in pregnancy. However, if you ask the medical community, there is no acceptable level of risk when it comes to drinking alcohol. <\/span>Doctors, midwives, pregnancy guides, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), the CDC, and other health authorities categorically state that no amount of alcohol has been proven safe during pregnancy. It can be tough to think about 40 weeks without a single drink, but it\u2019s worth it for the peace of mind that you\u2019re protecting Baby<\/span>\u2019s health.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are the risks of alcohol?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

When you\u2019re pregnant, your baby is totally dependent on you for all of the nutrients that they will need to grow and develop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alcohol is a beverage containing ethanol with zero nutritional value. It\u2019s also classified as a carcinogen, or cancer-causing substance. Drinking impairs your balance and decision making, which may mean you are more likely to fall or engage in other risky behaviors. While pregnant, this could be even more dangerous for you or Baby<\/span>. Drinking makes it hard for your body to absorb certain vitamins, which can be especially problematic when it comes to regular drinking.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oxygen and nutrients flow to the bloodstream through the placenta, so when you drink alcohol, some of that alcohol will get absorbed and go to the baby. Everybody has enzymes that break down alcohol, but these enzymes are found in different quantities in different people, so some people take longer than others to get the booze out of their system. Chances are, a developing baby won\u2019t have nearly enough enzymes yet to process that alcohol. Exposure to alcohol can lead to an elevated risk for various forms of stunted development, stillbirth, and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) are permanent defects and disabilities that can appear in children whose mothers drank alcohol while pregnant, and the symptoms range from mild to severe, depending on the case. Children with FASD may display any number of the following symptoms:<\/p>\n\n\n\n