In a heartbeat: Is drinking during pregnancy safe?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new guidelines urging women of childbearing age to avoid drinking alcohol unless they are using contraception. This new guideline is designed to prevent fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, which are caused by a fetus being exposed to alcohol in utero. Dr. Amy Whitsel, maternal-fetal medicine and high-risk pregnancy specialist at Allegheny Health Network, sorts out the issue.

Is it safe to drink while pregnant?

The current recommendation by the CDC and the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology is that women who are pregnant or trying to get pregnant should not drink alcohol at any stage in the pregnancy. Alcohol has been known to cause birth defects, and there is no amount of alcohol that is proven safe in pregnancy. Alcohol use in pregnancy is associated with miscarriage, low birth weight, preterm birth, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), birth defects and developmental disabilities.

What about just one drink?

It is not considered “safe” to have even one drink because there is no identified safe exposure to alcohol. Growing unborn babies can be affected differently. When a growing unborn baby is exposed to his/her mother's alcohol, it places the baby at risk for lasting birth defects and pregnancy complications. The baby's brain, body and organs are developing throughout the pregnancy and can be harmed by the alcohol at all stages of pregnancy.

Is it safe to drink while trying to conceive?

The CDC recommends avoiding alcohol while trying to conceive a pregnancy because even if the pregnancy is planned, most women will not know that they are pregnant until four to six weeks into the pregnancy. During that crucial developmental time, the embryo can be exposed to alcohol, which has been shown to cause birth defects and pregnancy complications.