Expert: Catherine Beier MS CBE - 7/3/2011

Question
Hi, thanks for your time, I have a quick question. I drank until i found out i was pregnant (8 weeks). I heard that alcohol during the first trimester can stunt a baby's growth throughout the whole pregnancy in utero, making the women further along than she is and not even knowing it. Is this true?

Thank you!

Answer
Arlene,


Alcohol consumption cannot make a woman farther along than she is.  It can, however, retard fetal growth and lead to low birth weight babies, along with a host of other problems, including attentional, learning, and other behavioral issues. During the first 8 weeks when women may not know they are pregnant, the risks to the baby are decreased as it is not yet being sustained by the placenta, but discretion is well advised and alcohol consumption should cease once a woman confirms that she is expecting. Alcohol also crosses the placenta, so once the placenta takes over support of the growing fetus near the end of the first trimester, any alcohol consumed by the mother is passed directly to the baby. In addition, it is not yet known how much alcohol is safe to drink during pregnancy. Fetal alcohol syndrome is as common in woman who drank heavily during pregnancy as it is in children born to mothers who only drank occasionally, such as once a week or less.  For these reasons, abstaining from alcohol use during pregnancy or when trying to conceive is strongly recommended.  


Best,
Catherine