Alcohol Use and Pregnancy

Couple snugglingOne in seven women of childbearing age (18 to 44 years of age) who report not being pregnant engages in "risk drinking.”  This is a concern because a woman may be pregnant and not know it, while continuing to drink at risk levels. 

Women who are fertile, drink alcohol, and have unprotected intercourse are at risk for an alcohol-exposed pregnancy.  Pregnant young latinaBy the time women find out they are pregnant and see a family physician, they might have already consumed alcohol during the pregnancy and affected the development of their fetuses.

Public health concern over drinking during pregnancy was first signaled in 1981 by the release of a public health advisory from the Office of the Surgeon General. This advisory warned women who were pregnant or planning a pregnancy to abstain from alcohol use because of the potential risks to the fetus.The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued additional advisories in 1990, 1995, and 2000.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is a permanent, lifelong condition that affects every aspect of a child’s life and the lives of the child’s family.  However, FAS is completely preventable – if a woman does not drink alcohol while she is pregnant.  Also, if a woman is planning a pregnancy or is sexually active and not using effective birth control, she should avoid alcohol consumption because she may be pregnant and not know for several weeks or more.

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is a term that describes a range of disabilities that may affect people whose mothers drank alcohol while they were pregnant. The diagnoses of FASD are:

  • Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS)
  • partial Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (pFAS)
  • alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder (ARND), and
  • alcohol-related birth defects (ARBD)

How do you get FASD?

The only way someone can get FASD is if their mother drank alcohol when she was pregnant.

Alcohol causes brain damage in the developing baby. THERE IS NO SAFE AMOUNT OF ALCOHOL DURING PREGNANCY. There is also no safe TIME to drink alcohol during pregnancy.

How do people with FASD behave?

If women drink when they are pregnant, their babies may have brain damage. This means that children and adults who are affected may have a hard time learning and controlling their behaviour. For example, they may appear to learn how do to a new task one day, and not remember the next. Other common problems include having trouble :

  • adding, subtracting and handling money
  • thinking things through / reasoning
  • learning from experience
  • understanding consequences of their actions
  • remembering things, and
  • getting along with others.

Because of their disabilities, people who are affected by FASD may have special needs that require life long help - even throughout adulthood - regarding :

  • handling money, such as paying rent and buying food
  • learning from their experiences and making changes in their behaviour
  • understanding consequences of their behaviour, or "cause and effect"
  • interacting with other people socially, and
  • keeping a job.

Affected people may develop mental health problems, have trouble with the law, drop out of school (or be disruptive in a classroom), are unemployed and/or may develop alcohol and drug problems. They may even be homeless.
We also know that people with FASD may be very good at many things. They may be loving, affectionate, friendly, artistic, musical, work well with animals and plants, be very loyal and show a great determination to succeed in life!

How much drinking by the mother can cause FASD?

Alcohol causes brain damage in the developing baby. THERE IS NO SAFE AMOUNT OF ALCOHOL DURING PREGNANCY. There is also no safe TIME to drink alcohol during pregnancy.

girl with hoodie We know that a baby's brain is very sensitive to alcohol while it is developing, but we don't know how much alcohol it takes to cause damage. Research shows that children born to mothers who drank as little as 1 drink per day during pregnancy, may have behaviour and learning problems. Binge drinking - or drinking a large amount of alcohol in a short amount of time - is especially damaging to the developing baby.

Stopping or cutting down drinking alcohol while pregnant will make the baby healthier. No alcohol during pregnancy is the best (and the safest!) choice for having a healthy baby. If you are planning a pregnancy or not using reliable birth control, avoid alcohol. Remember that friends, family and community members can all help a pregnant woman not to drink during pregnancy.