User:Rho r11n/Alcohol and pregnancy/Bibliography

Alcohol use at some point during pregnancy is common, and appears to be rising in prevalence.

Nearly a third of pregnant persons report consuming alcohol at some point during their pregnancy, half report consuming alcohol within the three months prior to pregnancy, and 1 in 9 report drinking within the last 30 days.

Alcohol use in pregnancy has been associated with death of the fetus and a variety of birth defects and developmental abnormalities with ranging severity.

However, not all pregnancies complicated by alcohol consumption result in still birth or miscarriage, and not all children exposed to alcohol in utero have FASD or FAS.

The reason for such variance in the consequences of alcohol consumption during pregnancy is poorly understood, however genetic and social risk factors for more severe outcomes have both been suggested. The affect of quantity and timing of alcohol use during pregnancy is also poorly understood, and no safe time period or quantity is known. Therefore, medical consensus is to recommend complete abstinence from alcohol during pregnancy. Some evidence suggests that the likelihood of FASD, FAS, miscarriage or stillbirth increases with both quantity, and duration of alcohol consumption during pregnancy.

It is never too late to reduce the likelihood of negative outcomes on fetal development by terminating or limiting alcohol use.

Withdrawal from physical alcohol dependency can have severe health consequences which can be avoided with medical treatment.