Fact Sheet - Alcohol & Pregnancy

• Adverse health effects associated with alcohol-exposed pregnancies include miscarriage, premature delivery, low birth weight, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), and prenatal alcohol-related conditions (e.g. fetal alcohol syndrome and alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorders).

• Adolescent girls who drink alcohol exhibit higher levels of estradiol (an estrogen) and testosterone than nondrinking girls. High levels of estrogen may contribute to increased risk for specific diseases, including breast cancer. High levels of testosterone are associated with an increased risk of substance use. [1999 report]

• Alcohol consumed during pregnancy increases the risk of alcohol-related birth defects, including growth deficiencies, facial abnormalities, central nervous system impairment, behavioral disorders, and impaired intellectual development.

• It is estimated that for every child born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), three additional children are born who may not have the physical characteristics of FAS but still experience neurobehavioral deficits resulting from prenatal alcohol exposure that affect learning and behavior.

• The outcomes attributable to prenatal alcohol exposure for the children of women whose alcohol consumption averages 7 to 14 drinks per week include deficits in growth, behavior, and neurocognition such as problems in arithmetic, language and memory; visual-spatial abilities; attention; and deficits in speed of information processing.

 

• One CDC-sponsored study found that children with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorders (ARND) are at very high risk for developing secondary conditions such as difficulties in school, trouble with the law, alcohol and drug abuse problems, and mental health disorders.

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