T

that she is pregnant. 

A 2005 Message to Women 

from the U.S. Surgeon General: 

Advisory on Alcohol Use in Pregnancy 

hirty-two years ago, United States researchers first recognized fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). 

FAS is characterized by growth deficiencies (or, decreased growth), abnormal facial features 

(specific facial features), and central nervous system (or, brain) 

abnormalities. FAS falls under the spectrum of adverse outcomes 

caused by prenatal alcohol exposure called Fetal Alcohol Spectrum 

Disorders (FASD). The discovery of FAS led to considerable public 

education and awareness initiatives informing women to limit the 

amount of alcohol they consume while pregnant. But since that 

time, more has been learned about the effects of alcohol on a fetus. 

It is now clear that no amount of alcohol can be considered safe. 

I now wish to emphasize to prospective parents, healthcare 

practitioners, and all childbearing-aged women, especially those who are pregnant, the 

importance of not drinking alcohol if a woman is pregnant or considering becoming pregnant. 

Based on the current, best science available we now know the following: 

Alcohol consumed during pregnancy increases the risk of alcohol related 

birth defects, including growth deficiencies, facial abnormalities, central 

nervous system impairment, behavioral disorders, and impaired 

intellectual development. 

No amount of alcohol consumption can be considered safe 

during pregnancy. 

Alcohol can damage a fetus at any stage of pregnancy. Damage can 

occur in the earliest weeks of pregnancy, even before a woman knows 

The cognitive deficits and behavioral problems resulting from 

prenatal alcohol exposure are lifelong. 

Alcohol-related birth defects are completely preventable. 

For these reasons: 

1. A pregnant woman should not drink alcohol during pregnancy. 

2. A pregnant woman who has already consumed alcohol during her pregnancy should stop in 

order to minimize further risk. 

3. A woman who is considering becoming pregnant should abstain from alcohol. 

4. Recognizing that nearly half of all births in the United States are unplanned, women of 

childbearing age should consult their physician and take steps to reduce the possibility of 

prenatal alcohol exposure. 

5. Health professionals should inquire routinely about alcohol consumption by women of 

childbearing age, inform them of the risks of alcohol consumption during pregnancy, and 

advise them not to drink alcoholic beverages during pregnancy. 

U.S. Surgeon General, 

Vice Admiral Richard H. Carmona, MD, MPH, FACS 
(SAMHSA) 

For additional information on alcohol use 

and pregnancy, please visit... 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 

www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/fas 

National Institute for Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) 

www.niaaa.nih.gov 

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration 

Substance Abuse Treatment Facility Locator 

www.findtreatment.samhsa.gov 

SAMHSA FASD Center for Excellence 

www.fascenter.samhsa.gov 

National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (NOFAS) 

www.nofas.org 

The Arc of the United States 

www.thearc.org 

FAS Community Resource Center 

www.come-over.to/FASCRC 

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Family Resource Institute (FAS*FRI) 

www.fetalalcoholsyndrome.org 

FAS Diagnostic & Prevention Network (FAS DPN) 

www.depts.washington.edu/fasdpn 

Fetal Alcohol and Drug Unit (FADU) 

www.depts.washington.edu/fadu 

March of Dimes 

www.marchofdimes.com