Alcohol and pregnancy: what medical organizations say
Some women encourage occasional drinking during pregnancy, supporting their opinion with the fact that their children didn’t have any health issues after birth. Even some doctors claim that having a small drink (1 unit) once or twice a week is safe.
However, the official position of major health organizations is clear: drinking alcohol during pregnancy is generally not safe.
The European Board and College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (EBCOG) states that “there’s no known dose of alcohol that is definitely safe during pregnancy.” For this reason, they recommend abstaining from alcohol during pregnancy. This recommendation is in line with the consensus opinion among leading medical authorities worldwide.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) also supports this consensus. According to ACOG, any amount of any alcoholic drink consumed at any stage of pregnancy bears potential risks for a child.
EBCOG and ACOG take this hardline stance because the effect of light drinking (1–2 units of alcohol per week) during pregnancy has not been studied enough to prove it’s safe. It is also hard to predict the impact of alcohol on any given pregnancy as each body processes alcohol differently.
