Alcohol and pregnancy

This paper was written to provide supporting information for the New Zealand Drug Foundation’s 2006 policy position on alcohol and pregnancy.

Since the late 1960’s it has been recognised that alcohol drunk by a pregnant woman can have damaging effects on the fetus. Research shows that alcohol crosses the placenta, so that whatever the mother consumes is in turn taken in by the fetus.1 It is also well established that alcohol has significant teratogenic (cell mutating) effects. These are particularly damaging during the early stages of pregnancy, when cell division is taking place at a fast rate; but effects can occur at all stages of pregnancy.