The Department of Health recommends that you avoid drinking alcohol if you’re pregnant.
You should also avoid drinking alcohol if you’re trying for a baby or planning to do so, as many women don’t realise they’re pregnant until some weeks into their pregnancy. .
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) advises women who are pregnant to avoid alcohol in the first three months in particular, because of the increased risk of miscarriage.
If you do choose to drink, to minimise the risk to your unborn baby, you should not drink more than 1-2 units of alcohol once or twice a week. You should not get drunk and avoid binge drinking. For women, binge drinking means drinking more than six units of alcohol a day.
What is a unit of alcohol?
One unit of alcohol is about half a pint of bitter or ordinary lager, or a single measure of spirits (25ml). Units in other alcoholic drinks vary, depending on the strength of the alcohol in them and the size of the glass or bottle.
How does alcohol affect my unborn baby?
If you drink alcohol when you’re pregnant, it passes to your unborn baby through your placenta. Your baby can’t process the alcohol as fast as you can, so is exposed to more alcohol for longer than you are.
Excessive exposure to alcohol can cause damage to your unborn baby at all stages of pregnancy. It can affect their development and lead to:
- low birth weight
- heart defects
- learning and behavioural disorders
If alcohol severely damages your unborn baby’s brain, it may cause such problems as:
- facial deformities
- problems with physical and emotional development
- poor memory or a short attention span
- mental illnesses, such as alcohol or drug addiction
Problems like these are called foetal alcohol spectrum disorders. Serious damage is known as Foetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). They are avoidable if you don’t drink alcohol while you’re pregnant, or limit your intake as recommended.
Last Updated: 28 November 2011