It's a well-acknowledged guideline from the U.S. surgeon general and leading medical organizations to abstain from alcohol during pregnancy. Women who are currently pregnant, planning a pregnancy, or who might become pregnant are strongly advised to steer clear of any alcohol.

Alcohol carries substantial risk as it can lead to fetal malformations and conditions like "fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)." The consensus remains that no amount of alcohol during pregnancy can be deemed completely safe, highlighting the importance of full abstinence to protect your baby. Excessive alcohol has a well-documented potential to result in severe birth defects.

The confusion surrounding light drinking during pregnancy exists because of individual biological differences. Some women are more capable of processing alcohol due to higher levels of specific enzymes, while others may not be as efficient, heightening risks to the fetus. This variability is the reason why there isn’t a universal safe level of alcohol consumption during pregnancy.

Approach to Alcohol and Pregnancy in the UK

In the UK, the NHS advises caution: "The Chief Medical Officers for the UK recommend that if you're pregnant or planning to become pregnant, the safest approach is not to drink alcohol at all to keep risks to your baby to a minimum. Drinking during pregnancy can cause long-term harm to the baby, with the risks increasing proportionally with alcohol consumption."

Approach to Alcohol and Pregnancy in the USA

Organizations including the CDC, the U.S. Surgeon General, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the American Academy of Pediatrics strongly counsel against alcohol consumption during pregnancy. If you have concerns about the potential impact of even minimal alcohol consumption, it is wise to err on the side of caution and abstain throughout your pregnancy. Each pregnancy is unique, and we still have much to understand about the impacts of light drinking.

While some women report healthy pregnancies even with occasional alcohol consumption, no amount has been proven to be completely safe. Alcohol is recognized as the leading drug causing fetal malformations. According to the Centers for Diseases Control (CDC), "Since no safe threshold of alcohol use during pregnancy has been established, it is recommended that:

1. Women who are pregnant
2. Women planning a pregnancy
3. Women at risk for pregnancy

...should avoid alcohol entirely. Women of childbearing age who are neither pregnant nor planning a pregnancy should limit their alcohol intake to no more than seven drinks weekly and up to three on any single occasion."

Although some studies suggest small amounts of alcohol might not harm the fetus, the consensus advises caution. A systematic review reported no convincing adverse effects from low-moderate alcohol exposure, but emphasized that evidence insufficiency does not equate to certainty of safety.

So what’s considered small? Approximately 1-2 units of alcohol once or twice a week. But in the absence of necessity, and given alcohol isn't a nutritional requirement, choosing to avoid it remains the safest course of action.