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However, the mother–child dyads treated in this study at the CHUV-Addivie addiction clinic were protected whenever possible, and about 70% of the mothers treated at this addiction clinic returned home with their infants. Thus, the risk of bias due to exposure Oxford House misclassification arising from underreporting due to fear of child apprehension is minimal in this setting 74. Available literature evidence does illustrate the effect of opioids and cocaine in inducing adverse pregnancy outcomes. Quantitative analysis assessing the association between the use of cocaine by pregnant women and adverse neonatal outcomes also concluded that in-utero cocaine exposure increased the risk of preterm birth and SGA 7.
Common questions
Also, some of the flavorings used in e-cigarettes may be harmful to a developing baby. Drinking heavily during pregnancy can cause fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) or fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). Experts say that women with certain risk factors should be especially careful about avoiding alcohol while pregnant. You probably should not drink, for example, if you have liver disease, a history of addiction, or are on any medications that may conflict with alcohol, such as antidepressants.
However, they should not worry unnecessarily, as the risks of their baby being affected are likely to be low. Women who find out they’re pregnant after already having drunk in early pregnancy should avoid further drinking for the rest of their pregnancy. It may not be as difficult as you think to avoid alcohol completely during pregnancy.
Calculate Your Baby’s Due Date
Drinking in pregnancy can lead to long-term harm to the baby, with the more you drink, the greater the risk. One is for patients who are pregnant or are intending to be pregnant. You can get help from a doctor or other healthcare professionals, your religious adviser, a mutual-support group, or other support people. Here are some questions you may have about alcohol and drinking while you are pregnant. Copyright 2025 by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
Managing risks while preserving rights
Additionally, a 2019 review found that for pregnant people who drank five or fewer alcoholic drinks a week, each additional drink per week increased their risk of miscarriage by 6%. Drinking during pregnancy also increases the risk of stillbirth, when a baby dies before or after delivery after 20 weeks of gestation. While opinions vary on whether it is safe to consume small amounts of alcohol during pregnancy, health experts agree that drinking beer or any other alcoholic beverage while pregnant is not advisable. This is because alcohol consumption during pregnancy has been linked to an increased risk of miscarriage, premature birth, and low birth weight. A descriptive analysis was performed, and frequency, along with the prevalence of these adverse outcomes, was reported. Recreational drugs are substances used for non-medical purposes, particularly for their psychoactive nature, and are often believed by the user that the occasional use of these substances would not turn out to be addictive 1.
- Table 3 summarizes the individual adverse obstetrical events observed in the exposed and reference groups.
- While the medical evidence supporting strict abstinence from alcohol during pregnancy is not very strong, it is still generally advised that pregnant people avoid drinking any amount of beer, or any alcohol, while pregnant.
- And I emphasize that stopping now that they’ve found out they’re pregnant can still improve pregnancy and fetal outcomes.
What happens if you drank and did not know you were pregnant?
Some doctors recommend that you completely avoid alcohol when you’re expecting; others say that occasional light drinking is unlikely to harm your baby. It’s the first clinic of its kind in the Mountain West and has treated 1,300 pregnant patients since its opening in 2017. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has a treatment facility locator.
NIDA-supported science addresses fundamental and essential questions about drug use. This website offers publications, research, training, and resources related to drug use and addiction. NIAAA supports and conducts biomedical and behavioral research on the causes, consequences, treatment, and prevention of alcohol-related problems.
A 2018 study found that pregnant people who consumed more than 12.5 alcoholic drinks per week had higher odds of experiencing pregnancy-related high blood pressure disorders. Drinking during the second and third trimesters increases the risk of preterm delivery. Premature babies often face health issues because their bodies are not fully developed. Additionally, drinking during pregnancy increases the risk of stillbirth. Opioid use among pregnant women is a significant public health concern.
- Additionally, drinking during pregnancy increases the risk of stillbirth.
- The CDC advises that there is no safe amount of alcohol during pregnancy and that individuals need to avoid it altogether.
These conditions range from mild to severe and include speech and language delays, learning disabilities, abnormal facial features, small head size, and many other problems. Pregnant women reporting the use of cannabis alone at the beginning of the pregnancy were included in the reference group. A 2019 review found that for pregnant people who drank five or fewer alcoholic drinks a week, each additional drink per week increased their risk of miscarriage by 6%.
Ask 3 Questions
Dr. Rajagopalan notes that multigenerational families may have customs around pregnancy that can be addressed together. “Because of the type of research I do, quite often I’ll have pregnant women bring their mothers to my research group,” she says. “They’ll have questions about pregnancy and fetal development.” She suggests pregnant women discuss any cultural practices that include alcohol with their health provider. One reason is that running research studies requiring pregnant women to drink alcohol isn’t feasible or ethical. “We can’t run tests that could potentially harm a baby or mother,” she notes.
What studies say about drinking while pregnant
I tell patients I think one to two drinks a week is unlikely to be harmful – but that I can’t guarantee that there are no possible risks. Most of the time, patients just want to know it’s OK to have a glass of wine to celebrate a special occasion. Higher number of Infants from the exposed group were SGA (35.0% vs 25.8%), experienced respiratory distress syndrome (21.3% vs 11.3%), and were hospitalized for more than 5 days (65.0% vs 10.3%). While no infant in the reference group was diagnosed with NAS, more than half of the infants in the exposed group were diagnosed with NAS (57.5% vs 0%). The question of whether it’s safe to drink alcohol while pregnant has been a subject of debate for years. Pregnant women face differing opinions among friends and family, online forums, and even health care providers.
Although heavy drinking can obviously be harmful, the risks of light and moderate drinking aren’t as clear. “The problem with drinking alcohol during your pregnancy is that there is no amount that has been proven to be safe,” says Jacques Moritz, MD, director of gynecology at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital in New York. Here’s what doctors say pregnant women should keep in mind when deciding whether to drink lightly or to https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/performance-enhancing-drugs-what-are-the-risks/ steer clear of alcohol altogether.