Don't Drink and Deliver

A MINUTE OF HEALTH WITH CDC
Don't Drink and Deliver
Alcohol Use Among Women of Childbearing Age — United States, 1991–2005
May 28, 2009

This program is presented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC — safer, healthier people.

A mother’s job doesn’t begin after she gives birth. Healthy behaviors before and during pregnancy play a key role in the ultimate outcome of a pregnancy. One of the greatest potential dangers to an unborn child is alcohol. It can lead to fetal alcohol syndrome and low birth weight, as well as other birth defects. There is no known amount of alcohol that’s safe to drink while pregnant. Alcohol can harm a baby at any time during pregnancy, including before a woman even realizes she’s pregnant. So women who are pregnant, trying to get pregnant, or could become pregnant should avoid drinking altogether.
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