

However, this is the better-safe-than-sorry approach, since researchers can’t very well observe pregnant women drinking, and can’t know for sure how much alcohol causes defects, or what other factors worsen the effects of alcohol on an unborn baby. If you're trying to get pregnant, probably best to not drink either. In other words, when you find out you're pregnant, you should stop drinking immediately. Alcohol can cause problems for a developing baby throughout pregnancy, including before a woman knows she’s pregnant.” Actually, it’s pretty challenging to determine the factors that directly lead to fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) or the most severe form, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS).įor this reason, the CDC warns, “There is no safe time to drink during pregnancy. Although moderate alcohol consumption might not seriously endanger your growing little, scientists can’t prove there’s a safe limit.īecause ethical committees would never allow researchers to give alcohol to expectant mothers, we can’t know the exact amount of alcohol it takes to cause health problems in a developing fetus. No, it is not safe to drink any alcohol while pregnant, according to the best research available. Is it safe to drink alcohol while pregnant? What to Drink While You’re Pregnant (Instead of Alcohol) What if I drank before I knew I was pregnant? How much alcohol is safe during pregnancy? How Drinking While Pregnant Can Affect Your Baby Is it safe to drink alcohol while pregnant?Įvidence against drinking while pregnant:Įvidence that drinking while pregnant isn’t the worst thing ever: We’ll sort through the scientific evidence and your burning questions in this article.įun fact: The CDC actually recommends that “sexually active women who stop using birth control should stop drinking alcohol.” That “1 in 13” figure is probably a lot lower in the US, but it’s hard to say by exactly how much. However, this includes places like Europe and South Africa and special people groups where fetal alcohol syndrome rates are already high. And a lot of the time, their baby is delivered with no health problems.Īccording to researchers’ best estimates, 1 in 13 women who drink alcohol while pregnant deliver babies with alcohol-related defects. Still, some women enjoy a glass of wine from time to time while they’re pregnant, whether they know they’re pregnant or not. Nowadays, there are plenty of alcohol-free wines, beers, and spirits - as well as mocktails - that can satisfy that brunchtime or after-dinner craving.


That’s why non-alcoholic wine is usually considered a good alternative to your favorite evening drink. The Surgeon General doesn’t require a pregnancy disclaimer on drinks with less than 0.5% alcohol. Drinking a glass of wine here and there may or may not harm your infant - scientists can’t test how much alcohol is safe to drink during pregnancy.

Although moderate drinking while pregnant seems unlikely to pose a threat, drinking any amount during pregnancy is not proven safe.
