Source: American Academy of Pediatrics [1]

What they say? Is it safe to drink alcohol while breastfeeding?
Small amounts of alcohol do get into breast milk and are passed on to the baby. One study found that breastfed babies of women who had one or more drinks a day were a little slower in acquiring motor skills (such as crawling and walking) than babies who had not been exposed to alcohol (10). Large amounts of alcohol also may interfere with ejection of milk from the breast. For these reasons, the March of Dimes recommends that women abstain from drinking alcohol while they are nursing [2]. Similarly, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that breastfeeding mothers avoid regular use of alcohol. However, according to the AAP, an occasional alcoholic drink probably won’t hurt the baby, but a mother who chooses to have a drink should wait at least two hours before breastfeeding her baby (11). hours after the drink.

Where can a woman get help to stop drinking alcohol?
Some women find it difficult to stop drinking. These organizations and Web sites can help:

Alcoholics Anonymous [3] (AA)
Listed in the white pages of local phone books

The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence [4] (NCADD), (800) NCA-CALL (800-622-2255)

Substance Abuse Treatment Facility Locator [5]

Resources
The Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) Center for Excellence [6], (866) 786-7327

References

1. Sokol, R.J., et al. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. Journal of the American Medical Association, volume 290, number 22,December 10, 2003, pages 2996-2999.

2. National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Frequently Asked Questions: What are the Statistics and Facts about FAS and FASD? Accessed 8/17/04.

3. Bertrand, J., et al., National Task Force on FAS/FAE. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: Guidelines for Referral and Diagnosis. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, July 2004.

4. Kesmodel, U., et al. Moderate Alcohol Intake During Pregnancy and the Risk of Stillbirth and Death in the First Year of Life. American Journal of Epidemiology, volume 155, number 4, February 15, 2002, pages 305-312.

5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Frequently Asked Questions: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Updated 8/5/04, accessed 8/17/04.

6. Instituteof Medicine. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: Diagnosis, Epidemiology, Prevention, and Treatment. Washington, D.C., NationalAcademyPress, 1996.

7. Day, N.L., et al. Prenatal Alcohol Exposure Predicts Continued Deficits in Offspring Size at 14 Years of Age. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, volume 26, number 10, 2002, pages 1584-1591.

8. Sood, B., et al. Prenatal Alcohol Exposure and Childhood Behavior at Age 6 to 7. Pediatrics, volume 108, number 2, August 2001, e34.

9. Streissguth, A.P., et al. Risk Factors for Adverse Life Outcomes in Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effects. Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, volume 25, number 4, August 2004, pages 228-238.

10. Little, R.E., et al. Maternal Alcohol Use During Breast-Feeding and Infant Mental and Motor Development at One Year. New England Journal of Medicine, volume 321, number 7, August 17, 1989, pages 425-430.

11. Meek, J.Y.AmericanAcademyof Pediatrics: New Mother’s Guide to Breastfeeding. New York, NY: Bantam Books and the AmericanAcademyof Pediatrics.