“I can have one glass of wine a night, it won’t harm the baby.”
No amount of alcohol is safe for the developing baby.
Any amount, even just one glass of wine, will be passed on to the baby.
The type of alcohol is irrelevant. Developing babies cannot process alcohol in their liver, as it is not fully formed. The baby will absorb all of the alcohol and have the same blood alcohol content as the mom.
“It’s just alcohol, it’s not as bad as other substances, like heroin, cocaine or marijuana.”
Alcohol produces the most harmful and serious neurobehavioral effects in a fetus, according to the Institute of Medicine.
That being said, any amount of any substance has negative health effects on the fetus! One is not better than the other.
“I’ve never met anyone with FASD… is it really of any concern?”
Approximately 1 in 100 babies are born with FASD, the same rate as Autism.
According to the National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, FASD displays a higher prevalence than Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, Cystic Fibrosis, and Spina Bifida combined.
Drinking alcohol during pregnancy is the leading preventable cause of birth defects, developmental disabilities, and learning disabilities.
Remember, many people with FASD go unnoticed or misdiagnosed! You may know people who have FASD, and you may not even know it.
“I know people who have drank some alcohol when they were pregnant and their baby was fine.”
Just because this was the case for someone else does not mean it will be the case for you.
There is always a risk of FASD if alcohol is consumed by the mother during pregnancy. As stated prior, no amount of alcohol is safe for the baby, no matter what kind of alcohol it is.
Furthermore, this person perhaps was unaware of the consequences of FASD when they made the choice to drink alcohol during their pregnancy.
Remind people around you that they should not be drinking alcohol during pregnancy, as they are running a serious risk of their child having FASD. Spreading awareness is the first step towards prevention!
“Should I be worried about FASD if I was drinking alcohol before I knew I was pregnant?”
It is never too late to stop drinking.
Many pregnancies are unplanned, and a good way to prevent this from happening is to use contraceptives.
Although there is always a risk of FASD when consuming alcohol during pregnancy, in the case that you believe you were drinking because you were unaware that you were expecting, the best thing to do is to stop drinking alcohol immediately.
Seek prenatal care from your doctor and speak to them about your concerns. They can provide more information about FASD and answer any questions or concerns you may have.
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