Ask the experts: Wine worries

Help! I went out with my girlfriends before I knew I was pregnant and had two glasses of wine. Will my baby have fetal alcohol syndrome?

The bottom line is that it is very unlikely for a child in this scenario to have fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). However, there is no known, recommended amount of safe alcohol consumption in pregnancy, so I would advise to abstain from any alcohol usage from this point onward. There are a few recent reports stating that there are no effects to the fetus in regards to neurologic and psychologic damage with light to moderate drinking during pregnancy, but there still needs to be more research in that area. One glass of wine probably will not cause FAS, but if you don’t drink at all, there is no way your baby will have FAS. Maternal alcohol usage is a very preventable cause of birth defects and avoiding it is probably best throughout a pregnancy.
—Prathima Setty, MD, FACOG, board certified OB/GYN in Northern Virginia
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