Drinking Alcohol in Pregnancy (Fetal Alcohol Effects)
No. 93; April 2026
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology recommend complete abstinence from alcohol during pregnancy. There is no known safe amount tor safe time to drink while pregnant. Alcohol use has been shown to cause serious and negative effects on the development of the baby (fetus). In the United States, alcohol exposure to the fetus is the one of the leading known preventable causes of birth defects, brain damage, and intellectual disabilities.
Every year, thousands of children are born with the effects of prenatal (during pregnancy) exposure to alcohol. While many people drink, alcohol is poisonous to the child that growing inside of a woman. Even low levels of drinking may increase risk and no amount is proven safe, so abstinence is recommended. Serious problems in children and adolescents include:
- Infants may show slow growth and developmental delay, unusual facial features, irritability, brain and neurological disorders, intellectual disabilities and problems with emotional attachment (ability to bond with others)
- Kids and school-age children may have problems with learning or reading, problems with focus and attention, low tolerance for frustration, and poor social boundaries (expected behavioral norms and limits)
- Teenagers can have continued learning problems, depression, anxiety and inappropriate sexual behavior
Negative effects and problems caused by drinking alcohol while pregnant are called Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs). Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is the most severe group of this spectrum caused by drinking alcohol while pregnant. FASDs can cause problems:
- Remembering and learning
- Speech and language delays
- Intellectual disability or low IQ
- Following directions
- Attention and focus shifting between tasks/activities
- Shifting focus
- Controlling emotions
- Socializing
- Poor memory
- Vision or hearing problems
- Problems with the heart, kidney, or bones
- Performing daily life skills, including self-care, counting money, telling time, and minding personal safety
Psychiatric disorders can also be caused by drinking during pregnancy such as:
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
- Depression and anxiety
- Problems with hyperactivity, conduct, and impulse control
- Increased risk of alcohol and other drug use disorders
Children who are suspected of FASDs must be carefully evaluated by a pediatrician, child and adolescent psychiatrist, developmental pediatricians, geneticists, or other medical or mental health clinician. Fetal alcohol exposure is often missed as the cause of the problems in a child's behavior. The effects of alcohol on the developing brain during pregnancy are not reversible. However, early intervention can improve the chances of success for the child. Examples of early interventions for FASDs include occupational therapy, special educational services starting as early as preschool, mental health evaluation and support (e.g. adaptive function behavioral therapy), speech therapy services, as well as consistent structure of environment and routine.
If you are pregnant, or thinking about becoming pregnant, and find that it is impossible to stop drinking, talk with your doctor who can help. It is important to get treatment to stop drinking as soon as possible. There are programs available to help pregnant women stop drinking such as specific therapy (e.g. motivational therapy, addictions treatment), medication (e.g. naltrexone, acamprosate, disulfiram), and to complement these, the "12-step program" of Alcoholics Anonymous).
You can learn more about the effects of alcohol in pregnancy at: