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The danger of consuming alcohol during pregnancy has been widely publicized and there is much confusion over what amount of alcohol may be potentially toxic to the fetus. The safest option is to stop drinking alcohol altogether once you learn that you are pregnant. It may also be advisable to stop drinking alcohol if you are planning on conceiving, as you may be unsure when you will fall pregnant.

Alcohol can easily enter the baby’s system and cause toxic effects on the growing baby. The dangers associated with drinking alcohol during pregnancy are many, including an increased chance of miscarriage, premature birth, and a serious complication known as fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) where the child may have facial defects, poor growth, learning disabilities and behavioral problems.

Amount of Alcohol Allowed During Pregnancy

The amount of damage to the developing baby will depend on how much, how frequently and in what stages of pregnancy alcohol is consumed. However this cannot be accurately determined as individual tolerance or sensitivity may be contributing factors.  If a woman decides to have the occasional drink during pregnancy, a limit of one or two units of alcohol once or twice a week may be considered to be relatively safe, although it cannot be over-emphasized that no amount of alcohol can be said to be absolutely safe for the baby. Binge drinking or drinking more than five units of alcohol on any one occasion may prove to be extremely harmful for the baby.

A unit of alcohol may be taken as :

• Quarter of a pint of strong beer or lager
• Half a pint of regular beer, lager or cider
• Half of a small glass of twelve percent strength wine
• A small glass of sherry
• A single measure of spirits

Alcohol Dangers in First, Second and Third Trimester

Alcohol consumption during the first three months of pregnancy increases the chance of miscarriage. In later stages of pregnancy, it can affect physical growth of the baby as well as development of the brain. Drinking, especially often and in excess, in any stage of pregnancy can affect the baby in various ways, such as :

• Low birth weight of the baby
• Premature birth
• By affecting the development of the fetal brain, intellectual capacity of the baby may be hampered.
• Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) – the severity will depend on the amount of alcohol intake by the mother during pregnancy. Both physical and mental features such as a small head, small eyes, facial abnormalities, malformations in the heart and low IQ may be present.
• Learning disabilities and behavioral problems are more likely to occur in these children as they grow up.
• Research shows that children born of mothers who drank even moderately during pregnancy are more likely to indulge in alcohol from a younger age than children of non-drinkers.

Every effort has to be made by the mother to give up alcohol during pregnancy if she would like to deliver a healthy baby without any physical or mental defects. Alcoholism can be treated and if necessary, she should seek advice from her doctor prior to falling pregnant.