If you drink while pregnant

Drinking alcohol while pregnant - NHS

Experts are still unsure exactly how much – if any – alcohol is completely safe for you to have while you're pregnant, so the safest approach is not to drink at all while you're expecting.

Is it safe to drink alcohol when pregnant?

The Chief Medical Officers for the UK recommend that if you're pregnant or planning to become pregnant, the safest approach is not to drink alcohol at all to keep risks to your baby to a minimum.

Drinking in pregnancy can lead to long-term harm to the baby, with the more you drink, the greater the risk.

How does alcohol affect my unborn baby?

When you drink, alcohol passes from your blood through the placenta to your baby.

A baby's liver is one of the last organs to develop and does not mature until the later stages of pregnancy.

Your baby cannot process alcohol well, and exposure to alcohol can seriously affect their development.

Drinking alcohol during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage, premature birth and your baby having a low birthweight. It can also affect your baby after they're born.

Drinking during pregnancy can cause your baby to develop a serious condition called foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD).

FASD can cause problems with:

learning and behaviour
joints, bones, muscles and some organs
managing emotions and developing social skills
hyperactivity and impulse control
communication, such as problems with speech

The risk is likely to be greater the more you drink.

How to avoid alcohol in pregnancy

It may not be as difficult as you think to avoid alcohol completely during pregnancy, as many women go off the taste of alcohol early in pregnancy.

Most women do give up alcohol once they know they're pregnant or when they're planning to become pregnant.

Women who find out they're pregnant after already having drunk in early pregnancy should avoid further drinking.

However, they should not worry unnecessarily, as the risks of their baby being affected are likely to be low.

If you're concerned, talk to a midwife or doctor.

What is a unit of alcohol?

If you do decide to drink when you're pregnant, it's important to know how many units you are consuming.

One UK unit is 10 millilitres (ml) – or 8 grams – of pure alcohol. This is equal to:

just under half a pint of cider (218ml) at 4.5% alcohol by volume (ABV: you can find this on the label)
just under half a pint of beer (250ml) at 4% ABV
a single measure of spirit (25ml), such as whisky, gin, rum or vodka, at 40% ABV
just under half a standard glass of wine (76ml) at 13% ABV

You can find out how many units there are in different types and brands of drinks with the Drinkaware unit and calorie calculator.

If you have an Android smartphone, iPhone, iPad or iPod touch, you can download the free One You Drinks Tracker from Google Play or the iTunes App Store. It allows you to keep a drinks diary and get feedback on your drinking.

Alcohol support services

If you have difficulty cutting down what you drink, talk to a midwife, doctor or pharmacist.

Confidential help and support is also available from local counselling services:

Drinkline – the national alcohol helpline; if you're worried about your own or someone else's drinking, call this free helpline on 0300 123 1110 (weekdays 9am to 8pm, weekends 11am to 4pm)
We Are With You – a UK-wide treatment agency that helps individuals, families and communities manage the effects of alcohol and drug misuse
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) – a free self-help group; its "12-step" programme involves getting sober with the help of regular support groups

Find your nearest alcohol support services.

Read more advice on cutting down your drinking.

Find maternity services near you.

Page last reviewed: 29 January 2020
Next review due: 29 January 2023

Alcohol during pregnancy | March of Dimes

Don’t drink alcohol if you’re pregnant, trying to get pregnant or think you may be pregnant.

Alcohol can cause problems for your baby at any time in pregnancy, even before you know you’re pregnant.

Drinking alcohol during pregnancy makes your baby more likely to have premature birth, birth defects and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.

How does drinking alcohol during pregnancy affect your baby’s health?

Drinking alcohol at any time during pregnancy can cause serious health problems for your baby. Alcohol includes wine, wine coolers, beer and liquor.

When you drink alcohol during pregnancy, the alcohol in your blood quickly passes through the placenta and the umbilical cord to your baby. The placenta grows in your uterus (womb) and supplies the baby with food and oxygen through the umbilical cord. Drinking any amount of alcohol at any time during pregnancy can harm your baby’s developing brain and other organs. No amount of alcohol has been proven safe at any time during pregnancy.

There’s no safe time to drink alcohol during pregnancy. Alcohol can cause problems for your baby any time during pregnancy, even before you know that you’re pregnant. You may be pregnant and not know for 4 to 6 weeks.

Drinking alcohol during pregnancy increases your baby’s chances of having these problems:

Premature birth. This is when your baby is born before 37 weeks of pregnancy. Premature babies may have serious health problems at birth and later in life.
Brain damage and problems with growth and development
Birth defects, like heart defects, hearing problems or vision problems. Birth defects are health conditions that are present at birth. Birth defects change the shape or function of one or more parts of the body. They can cause problems in overall health, how the body develops, or in how the body works.
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (also called FASDs). Children with FASDs may have a range of problems, including intellectual and developmental disabilities. These are problems with how the brain works that can cause a person to have trouble in learning, communicating, taking care of himself or getting along with others. They also may have problems or delays in physical development. FASDs usually last a lifetime. Binge drinking during pregnancy increases your chances of having a baby with FASDs. Binge drinking is when you drink four or more drinks in 2 to 3 hours.
Low birthweight (also called LBW). This is when a baby is born weighing less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces.
Miscarriage. This is when a baby dies in the womb before 20 weeks of pregnancy.
Stillbirth. This is when a baby dies in the womb after 20 weeks of pregnancy.

How can you keep your baby safe from alcohol during pregnancy?

If you don’t drink alcohol during pregnancy, your baby can’t have FASDs or any other health problems caused by alcohol. If you're pregnant or even thinking about getting pregnant, don’t drink alcohol.

Some women may drink alcohol during pregnancy and have babies who seem healthy. Some women may have very little alcohol during pregnancy and have babies with serious health conditions. Every pregnancy is different. Alcohol may hurt one baby more than another. The best way to keep your baby safe from problems caused by alcohol during pregnancy is not to drink alcohol when you’re pregnant.

If you’re pregnant, trying to get pregnant or think you may be pregnant, don’t drink alcohol. When you do get pregnant, get regular prenatal care (medical care you get during pregnancy). Tell your health care provider if you need help to stop drinking alcohol.

How can you stop drinking alcohol during pregnancy?

You may want to drink alcohol during pregnancy. Alcohol is often part of social activities, like parties or sports events. You may be used to having a glass of wine with dinner or at the end of a busy day. Giving up alcohol during pregnancy may be hard.

Here are some tips to help you stop drinking alcohol:

Think about when you usually drink alcohol. Plan to drink other things, like fruity drinks or water. Use a fun straw or put an umbrella in the glass to make it seem more fun.
Stay away from situations or places where you usually drink, like parties or bars.
Get rid of all the alcohol in your home.
Tell your partner and your friends and family that you’re not drinking alcohol during pregnancy. Ask them to help and support you.

If you need help to stop drinking, here’s what you can do:

Talk to your health care provider about alcohol treatment programs.
Join an Alcoholics Anonymous support group.
Use Substance Abuse Treatment Facility Locator on the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (also called SAMSHA) website or call 1-800 662-4357.

Can your partner’s drinking affect your baby during pregnancy?

FASDs and other alcohol-related health conditions happen when you drink during pregnancy. Research is still being done to find out if alcohol harms a man’s sperm before a woman gets pregnant.

More information

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA)

Last reviewed: April, 2016

Drank a glass of wine while pregnant? It's OK

Michelle Roberts
BBC Health Columnist

12 September 2017

Image copyright, Getty Images

Evidence that low alcohol consumption during pregnancy can harm the fetus is "surprisingly low", say British scientists.

They looked at all the available research on the subject since the 1950s and found no conclusive evidence that one or two small glasses of wine a week did any noticeable harm to the health of the mother or child.

However, this does not mean that it is completely safe, the team of scientists from the University of Bristol who conducted the study emphasizes and urges pregnant women not to drink at all just in case - as the official recommendations of the National Health Service prescribe.

At the same time, those women who drank a little during pregnancy should not worry about the fact that they harmed the health of the child.

76 milliliters

In 2016, the chief medical officer of the British National Health Service, Professor Sally Davies, revised the recommendations for pregnant women, urging them to completely abstain from alcohol throughout the entire period of pregnancy.

Similar recommendations in Western countries are usually expressed in conventional units of alcohol; one standard unit roughly corresponds to 76 ml of wine (less than half a glass in a restaurant) or 250 ml of beer.

Prior to this, pregnant women were advised that they could drink one to two conventional units per week.

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It is not known how much drinking is "safe" for a pregnant woman, but it is well known what excessive drinking during pregnancy can lead to.

Alcohol intoxication or excessive drinking in this position increases the risk of miscarriage and premature birth, and can also lead to the development of fetal alcohol syndrome in a child, that is, a combination of congenital malformations, both mental and physical.

At the same time, the risks associated with infrequent moderate drinking are not so obvious.

Dr. Louise Zucollo and her colleagues found 26 studies on this subject.

After reviewing and analyzing all of the data, scientists found no clear evidence of the harm of moderate alcohol consumption, but in seven studies, moderate drinking was associated with an 8% increase in the likelihood that a child would be born with a low birth weight.

Also in their review, published in the scientific journal BMJ Open, scientists note that infrequent drinking may increase the risk of preterm birth.

"We still need to exercise caution, but there is hope that this will help alleviate guilt and anxiety in those women who occasionally indulge in a glass of wine during pregnancy," said Professor David Spiegelhalter of the University of Cambridge commenting on the results of a new study.

However, Professor Russell Weiner of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health said: “My advice to women is that if you are trying to conceive or are already pregnant, it is best not to drink alcohol at all. Regular drinking, even in small amounts, can be harmful and should be avoided. , just as a precaution."

Tips for pregnant women

If a woman drank small amounts of alcohol before she knew she was pregnant, or during the entire pregnancy, the risk that the fetus was harmed by this is very small
Women who drink regularly in early pregnancy and suddenly find out they are pregnant should stop drinking alcohol; however, they should know that in most cases their baby will not be affected
If you are worried about how much you drank during pregnancy, ask your doctor or midwife

ALCOHOL AND PREGNANCY - Outpatient Health Facility

The fact that you can not drink alcohol during pregnancy is known to most. However, different situations can arise in life: one woman is planning a pregnancy, continuing to drink alcohol on holidays in order to avoid uncomfortable questions; another drinks a glass of wine, unaware that she is already pregnant; the third during pregnancy cannot cope with the desire to drink beer, believing that "a little bit is possible. " Let's look at these situations in more detail.

Alcohol consumption during pregnancy planning.

Alcohol is a toxin that adversely affects the human reproductive system. In women, alcohol consumption leads to disruption of the menstrual cycle and hormonal balance, which significantly affects the ability to conceive. There are also opinions that even episodic alcohol consumption can have a negative effect on the eggs, leading to their inferiority. Also, alcohol consumption affects the male reproductive system, significantly reducing the number of sperm capable of fertilization. Therefore, a couple planning a pregnancy should stop drinking alcohol at least 3 months in advance in order to increase the likelihood of conception.

Alcohol consumption in the first weeks after conception.

Without a special examination, a woman usually discovers the fact of pregnancy at 3 weeks after conception, when the next menstruation does not come. By this time, the embryo has already firmly attached to the uterine cavity and began to receive nutrition from the mother's blood. If negative factors, including alcohol, affect him before the moment of attachment, then this will lead to his rejection and death, and he will simply leave the uterus with the next menstruation. Thus, a woman may not know that she was pregnant.

According to most scientists, if alcohol did not disrupt the attachment process and the embryo continued to develop, then this would not lead to the formation of malformations in it. Thus, alcohol accidentally drunk during the first two weeks after conception will either lead to the termination of pregnancy or will not affect its further development.

Alcohol use in early pregnancy.

As mentioned above, as early as the 3rd week after conception, the embryo begins to come into contact with maternal blood. This means that all the substances in the mother's blood come to him. including ethyl alcohol. From the 3rd to the 13th week of development, the laying of all the main systems of the body of the unborn child occurs and the effect of alcohol no longer leads to rejection and death of the embryo, but to the formation of malformations and deformities of the nervous, cardiovascular, and digestive systems.

Alcohol use in late pregnancy.

The negative impact of alcohol on the course of pregnancy is observed after the 13th week. Ethanol and its decay products lead to spasm of the vessels of the placenta and umbilical cord, impairing the delivery of oxygen and nutrients, leading to a delay in the development of the fetus, disruption of its nervous system and brain. A prolonged lack of oxygen can even lead to the death of a child. Violation of the nervous system in the prenatal period leads to problems in the later life of the child - such children have reduced stress resistance, problems in learning, in communication, a tendency to mental illness and alcohol consumption.