A 23-year-old woman presents to the OB-GYN office you work at. She was recently surprised to learn that she is pregnant. She estimates that she is about 8 weeks along. The woman tells you that she regularly drinks on the weekends with her friends. She asks you “Is that a problem? As long as I don’t drink very much, I can still have a drink occasionally while I’m pregnant, right?”
How would you answer her questions?
What types of abnormalities can be caused by alcohol, and how does genetics influence this?