FOR HELP AND INFORMATION
You can get help from your doctor or other healthcare
professionals, your religious adviser, a mutual-support
group, or other support people.
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and
Alcoholism (NIAAA)
301–443–3860, https://www.niaaa.nih.gov
NIAAA Alcohol Treatment Navigator
https://alcoholtreatment.niaaa.nih.gov
FASD United
202–785–4585, https://fasdunited.org/
The Circle of Hope: A Mentoring Network
for Birth Mothers
https://fasdunited.org/circle-of-hope/
Recovering Mothers Anonymous
https://recoveringmothers.org
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1–800–CDC–INFO (1–800–232–4636)
https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/fasd
5. What if I am pregnant and have been drinking? Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
If you drank alcohol before you knew you were Administration’s National Helpline
pregnant or before you knew that alcohol could harm 1–800–662–HELP (1–800–662–4357)
your baby, stop drinking now. Every day matters. The https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline
sooner you stop drinking, the better for your baby. MotherToBaby
ALCOHOL
https://mothertobaby.org
6. How can I stop drinking?
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
If it is hard for you to stop drinking, talk with your https://www.acog.org/womens-health
AND YOUR
healthcare provider about getting help. There are a
variety of treatments that can help you. Options for American Academy of Pediatrics
pregnant women include behavioral treatments and https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/
PREGNANCY
mutual-support groups. Your healthcare provider may conditions/chronic/Pages/Fetal-Alcohol-Spectrum-
be able to help you determine the best option for you. Disorders-FAQs-of-Parents-and-Families.aspx
Treatment is an ongoing process. Even if you have NIH Publication No. 21-AA-4101
Updated August 2022
been through treatment before, don’t give up.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
National Institutes of Health
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
35947_NIAAA_Drinking_Pregnancy_Brochure_English_v03.indd 1 8/10/22 10:12 AM
HERE ARE SOME QUESTIONS YOU MAY
HAVE ABOUT ALCOHOL AND DRINKING
WHILE YOU ARE PREGNANT
1. Is it all right to drink alcohol if I am pregnant?
No. A developing baby is exposed to the same
concentration of alcohol as the mother during
pregnancy. There is no known safe amount of alcohol
consumption for women who are pregnant, including
early in pregnancy when a woman may not know that
...is associated with an increased risk of she is pregnant.
miscarriage, stillbirth, prematurity, and
sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), 2. Are some kinds of alcohol less harmful
than others?
as well as fetal alcohol spectrum
PRENATAL disorders (FASD). No. Exposure to alcohol from all types of beverages—
including beer, wine, hard seltzer, hard cider, alcopops,
ALCOHOL
distilled spirits (liquor), and mixed drinks—is unsafe for
FASD is a term for a range of lifelong conditions that can
developing babies at every stage of pregnancy. A glass
occur in individuals who were exposed to alcohol before
EXPOSURE...
of wine, a can of beer, and a shot of liquor all have
birth and often lead to disability.
about the same amount of alcohol. Cocktails (mixed
Children with FASD are more likely to: drinks) may have twice as much alcohol as these
other beverages.
Have low birthweight.
Have problems eating and sleeping. 3. What if I drank during my last pregnancy and
Have problems with vision and hearing. my child was fine?
Have trouble following directions and accomplishing Every pregnancy is different. Alcohol exposure before
everyday tasks. birth may harm one child more than another. You
could have one child born healthy and another child
Have difficulty paying attention and learning in school. born with problems. Some intellectual and behavioral
Have cognitive and academic problems and need problems related to FASD may not be apparent initially
special educational services. and can appear at any time during childhood.
Have trouble controlling their behavior and getting
4. Does FASD have lifelong effects?
along with others.
Yes. Although some of the lifelong effects of FASD can
Have behavioral and medical issues that can become
be recognized early, other issues become apparent
apparent at different life stages.
later in life. While early diagnosis and treatment can
Be prone to develop alcohol and other substance use improve the child’s health and behavior, there is no
disorders later in life. cure for FASD currently.
Often need extra medical and behavioral care,
assistance, and social support throughout life.
35947_NIAAA_Drinking_Pregnancy_Brochure_English_v03.indd 2 8/10/22 10:12 AM
