Drinking Moderately and Pregnancy: Effects on Child Development

Children exposed to moderate levels of alcohol during pregnancy show growth deficits and intellectual and behavioral problems similar to, although less severe than, those found in children with fetal alcohol syndrome. Research has begun to examine the extent to which these problems affect the child’s ability to function on a day-to-day basis at school and with peers. Findings indicate that “ moderate” drinking has much more impact on child development when the mother consumes several drinks in a single day than when she drinks the same quantity in doses of one to two drinks per day over several days.