Alcohol Use During Pregnancy

Your providers at Professionals for Women’s Health request that you abstain from all alcohol use if you are trying to conceive, if you are pregnant, or if you are breastfeeding.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is a direct result of alcohol ingestion during pregnancy and is the leading preventable cause of mental retardation. Other adverse effects include facial abnormalities, decreased height, hyperactivity, problems with learning, attention, memory, problem solving, poor coordination, impulsiveness, and speech and hearing impairments that persists into adolescence and adulthood.

No one knows if there is a threshold below which alcohol can be consumed without harming the fetus. Because of this, we recommend that pregnant and breastfeeding women abstain from alcohol use, pending confirmation of alcohol’s role in fetal development.