Is it all right to drink a little during pregnancy?
OBJECTIVE
When I told a female patient who just transferred from another city to abstain from alcohol during pregnancy, she was surprised. She mentioned that, in the past, several doctors had told her it was all right to drink moderately. I am confused. Have I missed something?


CONCLUSIONS
No, you have not. Women should be advised to abstain from alcohol during pregnancy. There are insufficient data to suggest a safe threshold for fetal alcohol exposure.
Koren
Gideon
G
Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON.
Caprara
Daniella
D
Jacobson
Sheila
S
Chan
Daphne
D
Porter
Kelly
K
D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects; D000431:Ethanol / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D010819:Physician's Role; D010821:Physicians, Family; D011247:Pregnancy
D000431:Ethanol