# Alcohol exposure in pregnancy (fetus)

Risk factor · id `maternal:prenatal-alcohol-exposure` · Maternal & Newborn Atlas · release `c7fb95f1d15a7d13` (public)

> General information from published sources, not medical advice, and not reviewed by clinicians. Check the cited source before relying on anything here.

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Browse, life stage: Pregnancy  
Browse, care area: Routine pregnancy care  

## In plain language

Alcohol can harm a baby at any stage of pregnancy, including the earliest weeks before a woman knows she is pregnant. Drinking in pregnancy can cause a group of conditions called fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs), which last a lifetime. No amount of alcohol in pregnancy has been shown to be safe. To prevent FASDs, health agencies advise not drinking alcohol while pregnant or when you might become pregnant.

## Technical summary

Sources are two US government pages: the MedlinePlus health topic on fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (summary credited to a US federal public health agency, last updated August 19, 2024) and the NIAAA fact sheet (updated December 2025). NIAAA ranks alcohol in pregnancy among the main preventable causes of birth defects and developmental disorders in the United States, and cites 2023 national survey data in which 8.4% of pregnant women said they were currently drinking. This record has no clinical claim: it describes an exposure, and it states no effect size or threshold. The NIAAA page is cite-only until its reuse terms are read.

## Connected pages

- Avoiding alcohol is part of the advice on routine pregnancy care: Antenatal (prenatal) care (`maternal:antenatal-care`)
- Avoiding alcohol is part of the advice before pregnancy: Preconception care (`maternal:preconception-care`)
- The fetal development page: Fetal development (`maternal:fetal-development`)

## Provenance

Content hash: 6c2daf877ad31657ea4c8ca3dd0c97276c95f875dc37e0045584b0510da6f40a
Last substantive edit: 2026-10-14
Evidence last checked: 2026-10-14