Drinking in Pregnancy

Mothers do not purposely hurt their babies. Many mothers do not know that they are pregnant until later in their pregnancies, and may drink alcohol when they are not aware that they are pregnant. There are many reasons why a mother might drink when she is pregnant, but we know that every mother wants her child to be healthy and happy.

How Much Drinking Can Cause FASD?

There is no known safe amount of alcohol that a mother can drink that we know for sure will not hurt an unborn baby. There is also no safe time to drink when a mother is pregnant.

We know that binge drinking, which is 4 or more drinks on one occasion, causes the most damage to unborn babies. But even drinking a little every day during pregnancy has been shown to cause problems. An unborn baby's brain and body are very sensitive to alcohol while it is developing.

If a mother is drinking and she is pregnant, stopping drinking at any time will make her baby healthier. We all need to help women to not drink alcohol when they are pregnant.

How Does Alcohol Hurt an Unborn Baby?

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) refers to the range of disabilities caused by prenatal exposure to alcohol. Children develop FASD when alcohol that is consumed by the mother and in her blood crosses the placenta and enters the unborn baby's body. This alcohol can cause damage to the unborn baby's developing brain and other organs (e.g. the heart) and affect the normal development of the baby. The effects of this alcohol could lead to problems after the baby is born including:

-         Not growing as tall or big as other children
-         Difficulty learning new things, like math or reading
-         Difficulty learning to understand language
-         Difficulty learning how to talk (speech and language)
-         Difficulty with remembering (memory)
-         Difficulty understanding cause and effect
-         Difficulty problem solving
-         Difficulty paying attention

Difficulties may be range from "mild" to "very severe," which is why FASD is called a "spectrum" disorder. FASD is also often called an "invisible disability" because those with FASD often look just like other people, but have difficulties that people without FASD do not have. Remember, no amount of alcohol is "safe" for the mother during pregnancy.

How do you know if you have FASD?

Anyone may have FASD if their mother drank during pregnancy but only specially-trained doctors can tell for sure and give a diagnosis after an assessment.

Does Drinking During Breastfeeding Cause FASD?

No. FASD can only be caused by a mother drinking during pregnancy. But alcohol can pass through the mother's breast milk to the baby, and because a baby's brain is still developing after they are born, the alcohol could affect the baby's brain development.

Can I Pass on FASD to My Children?

No. FASD can only be caused by a mother drinking while she is pregnant. Even if you have FASD, your children will not have FASD if your pregnancy is alcohol free.

Can a Father Cause FASD?

No. FASD can only be caused by a mother drinking when she is pregnant, but fathers can help mothers to not drink alcohol when they are pregnant.

Much of the information above is summarized from Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), a publication of the Public Health Agency of Canada. (2005), ISBN: 0-662-68619-5