Pregnancy and Alcohol

American Academy of Pediatrics Confirms ‘There is No Safe Amount’ 

          Reporting in the March 2011 issue of AAP News, Janet F. Williams, MD, FAAP reviewed the recommendations concerning consumption of alcohol during pregnancy and confirmed the Academy’s stance that “there is no safe amount, not a single drop”!  Some recent reports in the mainstream media have claimed that moderate consumption of alcohol in pregnancy may be ok.  Dr. Williams revealed the flaws in several of these studies and concluded that ‘all pregnant women should abstain from any alcohol consumption to eliminate the risk of alcohol’s damaging effects to the developing fetus”. 

Alcohol and the Fetus 

          When the mother drinks alcohol, so does the baby.  Alcohol passes through the placenta to the baby through the umbilical cord and because the fetus metabolizes alcohol more slowly than an adult, the developing baby’s blood alcohol concentration is higher.  Alcohol interferes with delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the baby’s developing tissues, organs and brain.  Because many women do not know that they are pregnant until several weeks or more after conception, it is important to abstain from alcohol if pregnancy is a possibility. 

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders 

          The term Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) refers to a range of harmful effects to children whose mothers drank alcohol during pregnancy.  They include growth delay, abnormal facial features, small head size and other physical malformations.  In addition, neurological problems, such as poor coordination, speech and language delays and vision and hearing problems are common in this disorder.  Finally, FADS can be manifested as mental and behavioral problems, including hyperactive behavior and learning disabilities.  Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders are thought to be the leading known preventable cause of mental and physical birth defects in the United States.  There are approximately 40,000 infants born in this country each year with some form of alcohol related damage. 

The Bottom Line  

          Taking it a step further, scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) state that not only should pregnant women not drink alcohol during pregnancy, but that there is no safe time during pregnancy and there is no safe type of alcohol during pregnancy.  If a woman is drinking alcohol during pregnancy, it is never too late to stop.  The sooner she stops the better it will be for both the baby and herself. The results of drinking alcohol during pregnancy can have life long consequences for which there is no cure.  The good news is that they are completely preventable by abstaining from alcohol consumption during pregnancy.