There are 4 categories of drinking:
- Heavy Drinking: more than 6 usual-sized drinks, glasses of wine, or beers per day.
- Moderate Drinking: less than 2 usual-sized drinks, glasses of wine, or beers per day.
- Occasional Binge Drinking: heavy drinking on no more than three occasions during pregnancy.
- Heavy Binge Drinking: repeated heavy drinking at least once a week.
(Please note, the amount given above regarding drinking is approximate and vary somewhat from person to person. Genetic differences are likely to be a factor in this variability.)
Alcohol is a central
nervous system depressant that is widely consumed in beverages for its
intoxicating effect. Alcohol is also frequently used in pharmaceuticals as
a solvent and preservative.
A pattern of congenital anomalies
called the fetal alcohol syndrome
(FAS) may occur in
infants born to women who drink excessively during pregnancy. Fetal
alcohol syndrome is usually seen among the children of women who drink more than
3 ounces of absolute alcohol daily throughout pregnancy. This is the
equivalent of about 6 beers, glasses of wine, or mixed drinks each day.
FAS is defined by: (a) prenatal and/or postnatal growth retardation; (b)
microcephaly and central nervous system dysfunction, including neurological
impairment, developmental delay, and neurobehavioral deficits; and (c)
characteristic facial anomalies such as short palpebral fissures, indistinct
philtrum, thin upper lip vermillion, elongated face, and flat midface.
Although the characteristic physical features change somewhat as children with
fetal alcohol syndrome grow older, the neurobehavioral abnormalities
persist. These can lead to many secondary disabilities including school
problems, legal issues, and mortality.
Studies estimate the incidence of
fetal alcohol syndrome is likely to occur in the offspring of 30-45% of women
who drink at least 5 ounces of absolute alcohol daily. The risk of fetal
alcohol syndrome is much higher for alcoholic women who have already had an
affected child. The effects appear to be less severe among the children of
alcoholic women who stop drinking early in pregnancy.
Lower levels of maternal alcohol
consumption during pregnancy have been associated with a variety of less severe
manifestations in children. Among the apparently "normal"
children of women who drink an average of more than 1-2 ounces of absolute
alcohol a day during pregnancy (about 2-4 beers, glasses of wine, or mixed
drinks) growth deficiency, intellectual deficits, and behavioral abnormalities
occur with increased frequency. Maternal alcohol use during pregnancy has
also been associated with an increased risk of miscarriage and stillbirth.
Withdrawal symptoms such as tremors,
hypertonia, and irritability have been observed among the newborn infants of
women who chronically drink alcohol late in pregnancy. In nursing women,
the concentration of alcohol in the breast milk approximates the mother's blood
alcohol content.
No safe level of maternal
drinking during pregnancy has been determined. It is recommended
that women avoid alcohol during pregnancy and nursing.