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There is no safe amount of alcohol use during pregnancy.

Complete abstinence from alcohol during pregnancy is important.

Alcohol can cause several harms to a fetus that are collectively called fetal alcohol syndrome.

All types of alcohol are unsafe during pregnancy.

What is a safe amount of alcohol during pregnancy? This is a critical question because the well-being of a pregnant woman’s child depends on the answer. It is also a timely question because “alcohol consumption during pregnancy remains a public health concern” (Thomas, 2026).

Even though the risks of drinking alcohol while pregnant have been made known for many years, there is evidence that high-use patterns appear to be increasing (Bruzelius, 2026). High-risk drinking is defined as binge drinking (four or more alcoholic drinks on at least one occasion during the past 30 days) or heavy drinking (eight or more alcoholic drinks within one week during the past 30 days).

Anne was a 29-year-old married third-grade teacher. She and her husband decided they would like to start a family while she was still “young.” They regularly drank a glass of red wine with dinner most nights. They wondered if it was safe to continue doing that if she became pregnant.

Their friends told them that they couldn’t imagine that one glass of wine with dinner could be harmful to a developing fetus. Despite that advice, Anne decided to learn what research shows. She and her husband agreed to limit alcohol to whatever amount is known to be safe. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provided the answer.

The CDC states clearly that “there is no safe amount of alcohol use during pregnancy.” Furthermore, “all types of alcohol can be harmful, including red wine, beer, and liquor” (CDC, 2026).

Evidence supporting the CDC’s findings includes a systematic review showing that “no amount of alcohol is established as safe during pregnancy” (Bruzelius, 2026).

What Do We Know About Alcohol Use During Pregnancy?

Gursu and colleagues reported that prenatal alcohol exposure........

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