Alcohol and Pregnancy
Drinking alcohol during pregnancy isn’t safe. There is no safe type, amount or time to drink alcohol during pregnancy. Exposure to alcohol anytime during pregnancy can impact the baby's growing brain and body.
How can alcohol harm your baby?
Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can cause something called Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). This happens when alcohol affects your baby’s growth and brain development.
FASD is a lifelong condition. It can make some things harder for your child, such as:
-
Moving and staying active
-
Learning new things and remembering information
-
Paying attention
-
Talking and understanding others
-
Controlling emotions
-
Making friends and socializing
Every person with FASD is different and has areas of strengths and challenges.
If a woman was to have a hard time with not drinking alcohol, it is important that they reach out to their health care provider for support. There are many reasons why a woman might continue to drink, which is much more complicated and complex than just “knowing you shouldn’t”. Contributing to stigma around drinking in pregnancy makes it much harder for women to reach out and find help.
What are additional resources on alcohol and pregnancy?
Contact Us
Southwestern Public Health (8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday - Friday)
St. Thomas Site
(Administrative office)
1230 Talbot Street
St. Thomas, ON N5P 1G9
Woodstock Site
410 Buller Street
Woodstock, ON N4S 4N2
Call us toll free: 1-800-922-0096
Email us
Work with Us
Southwestern Public Health (SWPH) values our people! We pride ourselves on our positive and flexible work environment.