Heavy use of caffeine should be avoided during pregnancy, since recent research has identified possible links between heavy caffeine use and birth problems. Withdrawal symptoms include severe headache, irritability, fatigue. A bottle of regular beer, a cocktail, a glass of wine, a smaller glass of sherry, port or vermouth each contain about 17.5 mL of pure alcohol. Although some physicians may occasionally recommend alcohol in moderation, this is not common medical practice. Usual effects of small dose are euphoria, drowsiness, dizziness, flushing, release of inhibitions and tensions.
Larger doses produce slurred speech, staggering, double vision, stupor.
Alcohol, even in fairly low doses, impairs driving. In combination with other drugs, small doses of alcohol may produce exaggerated effects. Very large doses can cause death by blocking brain's control over respiration. Chronic heavy use of alcohol results in disruptions of drinker's social, family, and working life. Pregnant women who drink excessively may have babies with abnormalities such as mental deficiency, physical deformities, cardiac defects.