Additional Information
Alcohol is the leading preventable cause of birth defects and developmental disorders in the United States. Every year there are thousands of children are born with life-long disabilities because they were exposed to alcohol prenatally.
On September 9th, The Prevention Network recognizes International Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) Awareness Day as a reminder that drinking while pregnant is not safe in any quantity,
First recognized in 1999, International FASD Awareness Day helps raise awareness about the range of conditions that can result from alcohol use during pregnancy. Based on data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 1 in 8 women drinks during her pregnancy, putting her child at risk for a variety of issues including low IQ, learning disabilities, speech and language delays, behavioral problems, vision and hearing problems, and problems with vital organs, among others.
Alcohol can damage the developing fetal brain and is thought to be particularly harmful to the embryo and fetus during the first three months of pregnancy, a time when a woman may not even be aware she is pregnant.
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism - Source
