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FASD The Course > Module 3: Risk Factors for FASD > 5. Maternal Drinking Patterns

Please Select One 1. Module Description 2. Learning Objectives 3. Pretest 4. Introduction 5. Maternal Drinking Patterns 6. Maternal Metabolism 7. Timing of Alcohol Consumption 8. Genetic Susceptibility 9. Maternal Lifestyle 10. Paternal Factors 11. Matching Activity 12. Posttest 13. References

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Module 3: Risk Factors for FASD

Maternal Drinking Patterns

Determining how much alcohol  is dangerous to a developing fetus  is a complex issue. Many factors influence peak BACs. These include the amount and pattern of alcohol use. It can take several hours for the alcohol from one drink to pass through the fetus back to the mother.

Differences in drinking patterns can be crucial in determining the effects of alcohol use during pregnancy. For example, drinking four or more drinks in about 2 hours ("binge drinking") can be more harmful than drinking one drink per day for 4 days. Binge drinking exposes the fetus to considerably higher peak BACs than drinking one drink at a time. This binge drinking increases the risk of alcohol-related damage.

Although binge drinking can be more harmful, continuous alcohol use during pregnancy can also be damaging. Certain factors have been associated with different consumption patterns. The table summarizes risk factors associated with heavy maternal drinking and FASD.

Influential Element	Maternal Risk Factor
Health	Older than 30 when child is born Has three or more children when child is born Uses other drugs, including tobacco and illicit substances Has experienced alcohol-related physical problems
Socioeconomic status (SES)	Low SES Social transience Unemployed or marginally employed Work in male-dominated occupation
Drinking pattern	Long history of drinking Frequent binge drinking Frequent drinking, such as every day or every weekend High BAC No reduction in drinking during pregnancy
Psychological profile	Low self-esteem Depression Sexual dysfunction
Family social traits	Heavy drinking by a family member Heavy drinking by the woman's male partner Tenuous marital status (cohabitation, never married, separated, or divorced) Loss of children to foster or adoptive placement
Local culture and community	Relatively tolerant of heavy drinking

Sources: Adapted from National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. 2000. Issues in Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Prevention. Tenth Special Report to the U.S. Congress on Alcohol and Health.Bethesda, MD: National Institutes of Health; Stratton, K.; Howe, C.; and Battaglia, F., eds. 1996. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: Diagnosis, Epidemiology, Prevention, and Treatment. Washington, DC: National Academy Press; Abel, E.L. 1998. Fetal Alcohol Abuse Syndrome.New York: Plenum Press.
Jacobson, J.L.; Jacobson, S.W.; and Sokol, R.J. 1996. Increased vulnerability to alcohol-related birth defects in the offspring of mothers over 30. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research 20(2): 359-363.

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