Dangers & Effects of Drinking Alcohol While Pregnant

Lower oxytocin levels can affect the amount of milk that is released from the breast, meaning a baby may actually get less milk. It may be difficult not to worry if you had alcohol before knowing you were pregnant, but do your best not to dwell on the past. The CDC notes that if the pregnant person stops drinking, the baby will likely do better. It’s recommended that if you’re pregnant or planning to become pregnant you should not drink alcohol. The CDC advises that there is no safe amount of alcohol during pregnancy and that individuals need to avoid it altogether.

I drank wine during my last pregnancy and my baby turned out fine. Why shouldn’t I drink again during this pregnancy?

• They performed tests on IQ, attention span, and executive functions such as planning, organization, and self-control.
• Some of the most common physical defects include facial abnormalities, small skull circumference, skeletal and muscle problems, and problems with internal organs.
• “The results support our assumption that alcohol permanently alters gene regulation at a very early stage.
• And as the baby continues to develop in the womb, it’s damaging to drink at any time during pregnancy.
• “If a pregnant woman with low levels of this enzyme drinks, her baby may be more susceptible to harm because the alcohol may circulate in her body for a longer period of time,” Garry tells WebMD.

Drinking alcohol during pregnancy poses a potentially serious risk to the unborn baby. The standard advice is for people to abstain from alcohol during pregnancy. If you used any amount of alcohol while you were pregnant, talk with your child’s healthcare provider as soon as possible and share your concerns.

Health Conditions

Addiction is a disease, and most people can’t manage it on their own. Your doctor can refer you to a therapist or program that may be able to help. The sooner you get help, the better life will be for you and your baby. During the pandemic, people in the U.S. purchased markedly higher amounts of alcohol. A report out of Columbia University found that Americans bought nearly $42 billion worth of alcohol from March to September 2020 – an increase of 20% compared to the same seven months in 2019. Click here to read more about alcohol’s effects during pregnancy and breastfeeding in our fact sheet.

Find a Treatment Center

• Women make decisions about risks and outcomes for our health and the health of our children all the time.
• The standard advice is for people to abstain from alcohol during pregnancy.
• There are no tests available during pregnancy that can tell how much effect there could be on future behavior or learning.
• Fact – The same amount of alcohol is found in a standard serving of beer, wine, or hard liquor.

If they don’t want to stop drinking entirely, we discuss what might be a reasonable limit. I tell patients I think one to two drinks a week is unlikely to be harmful – but that I can’t guarantee that there are no possible risks. Most of the time, patients just want to know it’s OK to have a glass of wine to celebrate a special occasion. There are many factors that can play a role in how alcohol can possibly affect a developing baby.

Alcohol use in first 3-4 weeks of pregnancy may lead to permanent brain changes in offspring

Later in the pregnancy, these illicit drugs may cause pre-term labor and low birth weight, as well as babies who are irritable and have feeding difficulties. According to Dr. Rajagopalan, studies show that drinking large quantities of alcohol while pregnant does affect a baby’s health. Specifically, the researchers focused on how early alcohol exposure during pregnancy influenced the epigenome of the hippocampus among offspring – the brain region that plays a crucial role in memory and learning.

A social worker can direct you to community programs that offer help, for example, Alcoholics Anonymous. It’s necessary to monitor intake of prescription drugs and over-the-counter (OTC) medications if you are pregnant. However, because it’s unethical to test drugs on pregnant women, the effects of many drugs during pregnancy simply aren’t known. Pregnant women who smoke marijuana face a higher risk of premature birth and low birth weight. And after delivery, babies who have been exposed to marijuana seem to undergo withdrawal symptoms with excessive crying and trembling. Using cocaine or methamphetamine — also called speed, Tina, crank, or ice — increases the risk of miscarriage early in the pregnancy.

• It depends on several factors, including how much alcohol you were drinking, how often you drink, and if you continue to drink during pregnancy.
• There is no amount of alcohol that’s known to be safe to drink during pregnancy.
• In November 2015, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) published a report that focused on recognizing, diagnosing, and treating FASD.
• A social worker can direct you to community programs that offer help, for example, Alcoholics Anonymous.

The symptoms of fetal does drinking alcohol while pregnant kill the baby alcohol syndrome vary from child to child but are lifelong. Drinking alcohol late in pregnancy can cause temporary symptoms in newborns soon after birth. Symptoms of withdrawal can include involuntary shaking movements (tremors), increased muscle tone, restlessness, and excessive crying. Talk with your healthcare providers about any alcohol use in pregnancy so that if symptoms occur your baby can get the care that is best for them.

Health

In November 2015, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) published a report that focused on recognizing, diagnosing, and treating FASD. The AAP reaffirmed their recommendation that no amount of alcohol should be consumed during any trimester of pregnancy with a video series in 2019. Other leading experts, such as the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, also recommend avoiding alcohol completely during pregnancy. Ultimately, it’s up to each mom-to-be to consult with their doctor and decide if they’ll have the occasional small drink. Those who opt to give up alcohol may miss unwinding with a cocktail, but Archie thinks they won’t regret being cautious. One might confide that they enjoyed the occasional beer during their pregnancy and feels their child turned out fine, while another sees this as taking an unnecessary risk.