New Warning Issued For Moms To Be About Drinking While Pregnant

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — A new warning has been issued Monday for expectant mothers about drinking alcohol while pregnant.

The recommendation from the American Academy of Pediatrics says completely abstaining from wine, beer or hard liquor is just common-sense.

"Our finding is even small amounts of alcohol throughout the pregnancy can increase the risk of a spectrum of this fetal alcohol syndrome," Jennifer Wu, an OB/GYN, said.

Studies show pregnant women who drink in the first trimester are 12 times more likely to give birth to a child with behavioral or neurological issues. Drinking throughout pregnancy puts babies at 65 times the risk.

"A baby's brain and central nervous system is exquisitely vulnerable to … things that can cause damage and alcohol is one of them," the doctor said.

A survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says, on average, about 10 percent of pregnant women said they drank alcohol in the past month.