How much alcohol is safe to drink during pregnancy

Public health officials recommend pregnant woman stay clear of all alcohol, as it is unknown what effects any amount can have.

http://www.chacha.com/question/how-much-alcohol-is-safe-to-drink-during-pregnancy

A woman who drinks alcohol while she is pregnant may harm her developing baby (fetus). Alcohol can pass from the mother’s blood into the baby’s blood. It can damage and affect the growth of the baby’s cells. Brain and spinal cord cells are …

http://www.cigna.com/healthinfo/tk3598.html#tk3601

Most experts say that no amount of alcohol is safe during pregnancy. All the potential problems in babies caused by alcohol, such as foetal alcohol syndrome and alcohol-related birth defects, can be avoided if you cut out alcohol during pre…

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-wellbeing/health-news/dr-fred-kavalier-a-question–of-health-656074.html

Related Questions Answered on Y!Answers

How Much Alcohol Is Safe During Pregnancy?????

Q: Ok so i’m 7months pregnant and i really don’t wanna celebrate new years alone or let my hubby go out without me. I know some people will say any amount of alcohol is harmful to the baby yet others say small amounts in moderation are ok, so if i were to have say 1 beer do you think i would be really harming my baby?I usually mix my beer with ginger ale anyway but i haven’t had a sip of anything throughout this pregnancy but i don’t wanna ruin new years for my family. i know that my hubby would be perfectly happy to stay home with me but i just feel so cruel if i made him do that so i would like to at least have one drink with him.Do you think if i mix a beer with ginger ale my baby will be ok?Baby: this is my 4th baby thank you very much and i have never drank with any of my pregnancies but all these new studies that are being conducted every yr its hard to tell whats accurate and whats not and what to believe is truth.i am not legally allowed to drive because i have epilepsy and the MTO here has very strict limitations on those with epilepsy and i don’t have a valid drivers license.Since everyone here seems to think i am a bad mother because i want 1 single drink holy crap i don’t drink even when i’m not pregnant i have 1 drink a yr and thats on new years but this yr i happen to be pregnant so i thought i’m already far enough along what could 1 diluted drink do to my baby.Ok but everyone here is saying soda and yet soda is a known diuretic which can cause a loss in amniotic fluid thus the reason why i’m not allowed to drink it now. So if they say soda isn’t good for you while pregnant why are you all saying it is? I have read numerous reports on the internet that 1 beer over the course of an hour is actually good for promoting breastmilk.How many people do you think drink and don’t even know they are pregnant. I’m not saying i want to drink 5 beers i want 1 diluted beer. I can have a good time without the alcohol of course however i will be breastfeeding this baby and won’t drink a thing so i don’t understand how one drink will harm my baby. You guys are being more rude to me than to those who are contemplating an abortion.

A: Having one drink is not going to harm anything. While there is no evidence that conclusively proves how much alcohol is too much, the risks associated with alcohol use come when there was regular drinking or excessive drinking either in very early pregnancy or chronically throughout pregnancy.One social drink is safe. Call your doctor if you want the official OK.

alcohol during pregnancy?

Q: I know there is no safe amount of alcohol during pregnancy so i’d like some views of moms that did drink while pregnant. Why is it that it’s safe to have a glass of wine with dinner or drink a pint of beer a day in other countries?? I read some stories about women who drank a beer a day or less almost everyday during pregnancy and their babies and kids are fine. I also read that almost all studies done the women drank like 5 or more beers at a time. So i’d like some views of women who did drink and how much they drank and how their babies are today. Thanks I really appreciate it ahead of time!* I’m not asking for my own health, i’m 30 weeks pregnant and dont drink, I was just wanting others views on it and was wondering why it’s ok in other countries? And how kids turned out to mothers who did drink during pregnancy!

A: I am currently pregnant and have been looking for similar information. What I have found is that in America, most doctors are pressured by insurance companies to promote abstinence when it comes to alcohol during pregnancy. In European countries, where wine is deeply embedded in culture, women are advised that they can drink 1-2 glasses of wine *with dinner* each day. FAS rates are no higher there than here. I think the “scare tactic” bas been used in America where women think one drink will lead to ill effects and it isnt true. While there is research suggesting that moderate drinking may lead to some problems, only heavy drinking (many drinks, every day, to the point of intoxication) leads to FAS. Even then, not all babies will have FAS. It’s only that the risk is significantly increased. You have to also remember that with research there is a phenomenon called “social desirability” where participants tell the researchers what they want to hear. Everyone has heard that drinking during pregnancy is bad, so participants tend to downplay their drinking in studies. So, a woman who drinks 3-4 drinks every day may only report 1-2 drinks a day. When this happens, results are skewed in a more conservative direction. Knowing all this, and reading the research myself, I currently enjoy a few drinks a week with no regret or guilt.

How much proven, peer-reviewed, scientifically sound research has been conducted on pregnant women…?

Q: who have had the occasional beer (say, once a month) and whose infant still suffered from Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS)? Why is it that, in my mother’s generation for instance, women continued smoking and drinking during pregnancy (though in more limited amounts) and there appears to be no research or evidence to suggest that FAS, or any other drug-related health problems, was more frequent in the children of these women? Furthermore, why is it that women are told that NO amount of alcohol is safe during pregnancy, yet may at the same time be prescribed, say, 60 mg of Paxil (paroxetine) per day to fight off their depression? Or anti-seizure medication, like clonazepam? I ask because it seems there is a strange double-standard when it comes to pharmaceuticals and alcohol in very small amounts.I’m actually trying to relieve my conscience because I had a beer last night and feel particularly stupid for doing so, because I didn’t think it was a problem. But now, I’m not so sure. And am freaking myself out.

A: Don’t beat yourself up. That isn’t going to help anything.Every person metabolizes alcohol differently, so there is no way of knowing what a safe level of consumption would be. Since it is impossible to identify a safe dose, they advise abstinence. It is a way for them to cover their butts.I do agree that there is a bit of a double standard when it comes to drugs and alcohol during pregnancy. There is a difference, though. Most doctors only advise drugs if they are medically necessary while pregnant. Alcohol is never necessary.