American Academy Of Pediatrics: No Amount Of Alcohol Is Safe During Pregnancy

During pregnancy, no amount of alcohol during the full three trimesters is safe, a new clinical report from the American Academy of Pediatrics advises.

Prenatal exposure to alcohol "is the leading preventable cause of birth defects and intellectual and neurodevelopmental disabilities," and "research unequivocally revealed that prenatal alcohol exposure causes a broad range of adverse developmental effects," the AAP now states.

In the past, there have been some studies that suggest that moderate alcohol consumption might be safe for expectant mothers — but with new research comes new responsibilities.

"During pregnancy, no amount of alcohol intake should be considered safe; there is no safe trimester to drink alcohol; all forms of alcohol, such as beer, wine, and liquor, pose similar risk; and binge drinking poses dose-related risk to the developing fetus," the AAP wrote in its report.

Given that fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs) can be prevented by abstaining from alcohol, the AAP now recommends that women protect their offspring by avoiding alcoholic drinks during the length of pregnancy.