Alcohol and Pregnancy

Alcohol use during pregnancy can lead to lifelong effects

Up to 1 in 20 US school children may have FASDs

People with FASDs can experience a mix of the following problems:

Physical issues.

• low birth weight and growth.
• problems with heart, kidneys, and other organs.
• damage to parts of the brain.

Which leads to…

Behavioral and intellectual disabilities

• learning disabilities and low IQ
• hyperactivity
• difficulty with attention
• poor ability to communicate in social situations
• poor reasoning and judgment skills

These can lead to…

Lifelong issues with

• school and social skills
• living independently 
• mental health
• substance use
• keeping a job
• trouble with the law

Drinking while pregnant costs the US $5.5 billion (2010).

SOURCES: CDC Vital Signs, February 2016.  American Journal of Preventive Medicine, November 2015.

Doctors, nurses, or other health professionals should screen* every adult patient, including pregnant women, and counsel those who drink too much. Providers can help women avoid drinking too much, including avoiding alcohol during pregnancy, in 5 steps.

1. Assess a woman’s drinking.
   • Use a validated screener (e.g., AUDIT {US}*).
   • Take 6-15 minutes to explain results and provide counseling to women who are drinking too much.
   • Advise her not to drink at all if she is pregnant or might be pregnant.
   • Come up with a plan together.
2. Recommend birth control if a woman is having sex (if appropriate), not planning to get pregnant, and is drinking alcohol.
   • Review risk for pregnancy and importance of birth control use.
   • Discuss full range of methods available.
   • Encourage her to always use condoms to reduce risk of sexually transmitted diseases.
3. Advise a woman to stop drinking if she is trying to get pregnant or not using birth control with sex.
   • Discuss the reasons to stop alcohol use before the woman realizes she is pregnant.
4. Refer for additional services if a woman cannot stop drinking on her own.
   • Provide information on local programs or go to SAMHSA treatment locator. www.findtreatment.samhsa.govExternal
   • Consider referral to treatment or recommend Alcoholics Anonymous. www.aa.orgExternal
5. Follow up yearly or more often, as needed.
   • Set a time for return appointment.
   • Continue support at follow-up.

*Learn how to do alcohol screening and counseling at www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/fasd/alcohol-screening.html.
SOURCE: Adapted from American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. www.acog.org/alcoholExternal.