The American Academy of Pediatrics stated that the most preventable cause of birth defects, including the ability of a child to develop intellectually and neurologically is the use of alcohol.
Here were the key points:
- Alcohol-related birth defects and developmental disabilities are completely preventable when pregnant women abstain from alcohol use
- Neurocognitive and behavioral problems resulting from prenatal alcohol exposure are lifelong
- Early recognition, diagnosis, and therapy for any condition along the FASD continuum can result in improved outcomes
- During pregnancy:
- no amount of alcohol intake should be considered safe
- there is no safe trimester to drink alcohol
- all forms of alcohol, such as beer, wine, and liquor, pose similar risk
- binge drinking poses dose-related risk to the developing fetus
In addition the American Academy of Obstetrics and Gynecology has long stated that no amount of alcohol consumption can be considered safe during pregnancy. Maternal alcohol use is the leading cause of mental retardation – and children exposed to alcohol in utero are at risk for growth deficiencies, facial deformities, behavioral disorders, impaired intellectual development, and drinking during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage, low birth weight and stillbirth.
The bottom line according to ACOG: Women should avoid alcohol entirely while pregnant or trying to conceive because damage can occur in the earliest weeks of pregnancy, even before a woman knows that she is pregnant.
There have been occasional reports in the media that “moderation” or “an occasional drink” is ok – but they are incorrect. There is no safe level of alcohol to a developing fetus. It is not safe to have “a beer” or “a glass of wine” during pregnancy.
REFERENCES:
From the American Academy of Pediatrics Clinical Report Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. Janet F. Williams, MD, FAAP, Vincent C. Smith, MD, MPH, FAAP, the COMMITTEE ON SUBSTANCE ABUSE . Published Online October 19, 2015
