Te Hiku Hauora - Alcohol Harms - Alcohol and Pregnancy

Alcohol and Pregnancy

No amount of alcohol is safe during pregnancy. What you drink, your pēpi drinks too –
and it can affect their brain, body, and future.

Alcohol and Pregnancy

Drinking alcohol at any stage of pregnancy can be harmful to your pēpi. When you drink, alcohol passes through the placenta directly to your baby. Their small body cannot process alcohol the same way an adult can, meaning it stays in their system longer and can cause serious harm to their growth and development.

There is no known safe amount of alcohol during pregnancy. Even small amounts can increase the risk of:

Brain damage
Behavioural and learning difficulties
Physical differences in appearance and growth
Problems with movement, coordination, hearing, or vision

What is FASD?

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is a lifelong disability caused by exposure to alcohol before birth. It is the leading preventable cause of birth defects and developmental delay in Aotearoa and worldwide.

FASD can affect:

The brain and behaviour – making it harder to concentrate, remember, or manage emotions.
Physical health – leading to problems with growth, hearing, vision, and coordination.
Learning and daily life – making school, relationships, and independence more challenging.

Every case of FASD is preventable. The safest choice for you and your pēpi is to avoid alcohol completely throughout pregnancy.

If you are finding it hard to stop drinking or would like support, free and confidential help is available.

Myth Vs Fact

Myth: A little bit won’t hurt.
Fact: Even small amounts of alcohol pass directly to your pēpi through the placenta or breast milk. This can affect their brain, body, and development. There’s no safe amount at any stage of pregnancy or breastfeeding.

Myth: It’s okay to drink in the second or third trimester because the baby is mostly developed.
Fact: Alcohol can harm brain development throughout pregnancy, and the brain continues to develop significantly during the later stages of gestation.

Myth: The placenta filters out alcohol.
Fact: The placenta does not filter out alcohol, it allows it to pass through to the baby.

Myth: Some types of alcohol are safer than others.
Fact: All types of alcoholic drinks, including beer, wine, and spirits, can be harmful to a developing baby.

Myth: "Pumping and dumping" helps eliminate alcohol from breast milk.
Fact: "Pumping and dumping" does not reduce alcohol levels in breast milk. Time is the only thing that reduces alcohol levels in both blood and breast milk.