Many people ask me about drinking alcohol, smoking, and taking over-the-counter drugs during pregnancy. My answer is no, no, and to be very careful.
Alcohol Use
When you drink alcohol your baby is drinking it too. Therefore, you should avoid all forms of alcohol when you are pregnant. This includes beer, wine and hard liquor. When a pregnant woman drinks alcohol, it quickly reaches the baby through the blood stream. Drinking alcohol during pregnancy may result in Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, lower birth weight, physical deformities, mental retardation, and motor development complications. There is no data to support a safe level of alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Therefore, medical experts recommend avoiding alcohol completely during your pregnancy.
Alcohol in Cooking
Your favorite chicken casserole recipe contains ¼ cup of wine. Is it safe to eat foods that contain alcohol during pregnancy? It is probably safe to eat a food that contains alcohol if it has been baked, or simmered for at least 1 hour. During that cooking time, most of the alcohol content evaporates from the dish and what remains is the delicious flavor. Do not consume food items that are not cooked for at least one hour. Much of the alcohol content still remains in these products.
