A MYTH: It is ok to drink a

glass of wine per day when you

are pregnant and when you are
breastfeeding a baby.
B
(Is picture A different than picture B?)

The Facts
Health care providers recommend
that women who are thinking about
pregnancy avoid exposure to alcohol If you drink alcohol during
Mommy, I
and drugs up to 3 months before don’t feel
pregnancy, your baby may be at
starting to try to get pregnant. So good risk of lifelong birth defects. (Alcohol
why would you think it is ok to drink and Pregnancy, n.d.)(1)
after you get pregnant? (Alcohol & Drug-
Related Birth Defects Research at the NICHD,
2012) (5)
There is no safe amount of
alcohol for your baby. (Alcohol
and Pregnancy, n.d.)(2)

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)

Even less than one drink per week can
lead to serious birth defects. Drinking What harm could 1 drink do?
alcohol also increases the risk for Cause problems with:
learning and growth problems and for • Coordination
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). • Behavior
Avoiding alcohol altogether is the best • Attention
way to keep baby safe. (Healthy Pregnan- • Learning
cy: Get the Facts (Text Alternative), 2017) (6) • Understanding consequences
(Alcohol and Pregnancy, n.d.)(3)

Prenatal alcohol exposure is a lead- Can alcohol be found in breast milk?

ing preventable cause of birth de- Yes. Alcohol levels are usually highest
fects and neurodevelopmental in breast milk 30-60 minutes after an
abnormalities in the United States. alcoholic beverage is consumed, and
(Alcohol & Drug-Related Birth Defects Re-
search at the NICHD, 2012) (7)
lasts for 2-3 hours. (Alcohol and
Breastfeeding, 2023) (4)

James
• James mother chose to drink during her pregnancy.
• James is now 19.
• James was diagnosed with ADD when he was 12.
• James is unable to sit still long enough to watch a
movie. He has never seen a Disney movie.
• James just spent 10 days in jail for his second DUI
because James is an alcoholic.
References:
(1), (2), (3) Alcohol and pregnancy. (n.d.). ACOG. https://
www.acog.org/womens-health/infographics/alcohol-and-pregnancy
(4) Alcohol and breastfeeding. (2023, April 18). Centers for Dis-
ease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/
breastfeeding-special-circumstances/vaccinations-medications-
drugs/alcohol.html
(5), (7) Alcohol & Drug-Related Birth Defects Research at the
NICHD. (2012, June 27). https://www.nichd.nih.gov/. https://
www.nichd.nih.gov/newsroom/resources/spotlight/062712-alcohol-
drug-related-birth-defects
(6) (8) Infographic: Healthy pregnancy: Get the facts (Text alterna-
tive). (2017, December 30). https://www.nichd.nih.gov/. https://
www.nichd.nih.gov/newsroom/digital -media/infographics/
pregnancymyths-textalt