How much drinking by the biological mother can cause FASD?
Alcohol causes brain damage in the developing baby. THERE IS NO SAFE AMOUNT OF ALCOHOL DURING PREGNANCY. There is also no safe TIME to drink alcohol during pregnancy. We know that a baby’s brain is very sensitive to alcohol while it is developing, but we don’t know how much alcohol it takes to cause damage. Research shows that children born to mothers who drank as little as 1 drink per day during pregnancy, may have behaviour and learning problems.6 Binge drinking – or drinking a large amount of alcohol in a short amount of time – is especially damaging to the developing baby. Stopping or cutting down drinking alcohol while pregnant will make the baby healthier. No alcohol during pregnancy is the best (and the safest!) choice for having a healthy baby. If you are planning a pregnancy or not using reliable birth control, avoid alcohol. Remember that friends, family and community members can all help a pregnant woman not to drink during pregnancy.
