A little alcohol won't hurt anything iStock/ti-ja This is one of those pregnancy myths you shouldn't take lightly. Some might argue the verdict is out on this issue, and a glass of wine won't do any damage to an unborn fetus. However, the truth is that no amount of alcohol has been proven to be safe during pregnancy. Those who choose to drink while pregnant are risking low birth weight, preterm birth, and fetal alcohol syndrome. There is also the issue of the way an individual woman's body may process alcohol. Each woman has varying amounts of an enzyme in her body tasked with breaking down alcohol. David Garry, DO, chair of the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Task Force for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, told webmd.com, "If a pregnant woman with low levels of this enzyme drinks, her baby may be more susceptible to harm because the alcohol may circulate in her body for a longer period." Bottom line: No amount of alcohol is safe, so it's best to avoid it completely.
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9 Pregnancy Myths Doctors Want You to Ignore (and 3 That Are Actually True) - Reader's Digest
