Imagine you could rescue a child from a life of physical and mental problems. You would do it, wouldn't you? Well, if you're pregnant, you can. Each year, in the United States, 5,000 babies are born with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), a series of birth defects that occur when a fetus is exposed to alcohol. Another 50,000 infants are born with fetal alcohol effects (FAE), meaning they have some, but not all, of the difficulties of FAS babies.

FAS infants are usually small and have many disorders, which may include deformed faces, mental retardation, memory lapses, hyperactivity, heart problems, or learning disabilities. Some die.

Photography by Dan Strange

"FAS-affected people cannot lead normal lives," says Carol Kaslander, coordinator of the New Jersey Department of Health's Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Prevention Project.

What can you do?

The message is simple; if you're pregnant, don't drink, says Kaslander. 

Here's why: A fetus absorbs everything that goes into its mother's bloodstream, including alcohol, which can damage a developing fetus's brain, heart, and central nervous system.

How Much Is Too Much?

Recent studies show that even moderate drinking can affect a baby's health.

Because a fetus lacks the organs to combat the effects of alcohol, the drug will reach higher levels and remain longer in a fetus's system than it does in the pregnant woman's system, Kaslander explains.

"No safe drinking level has been established," Kaslander says, and the safest bet, of course, is not to drink at all.

What if You Can't Stop Drinking?

Addiction to alcohol often leads pregnant women to keep drinking-even after they know the facts. If you are pregnant and struggling with alcohol addiction, help is available.

You can call the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence at 1- 800-622-2255. 

Remember it's your baby. Give her a fighting chance.