Alcohol use in pregnancy

Alcohol use during pregnancy or during breast/chestfeeding can pose risks to the developing fetus or infant as well as the parent. Primary care providers, midwives, obstetricians and other clinicians play an important role in identifying, treating and providing support for alcohol use in pregnant individuals.

This section is currently under development. Check back soon for practical information and strategies for health care providers based on best practice guidance from an expert committee of Canadian clinicians, researchers, service providers and people with lived experience. Additional resources will cover the following: the treatment pathway for AUD in pregnancy, withdrawal management for pregnant patients with AUD, pharmacotherapy options for pregnant individuals with AUD, monitoring the development of babies or infants exposed to alcohol, and more

About these resources

These resources were developed by a committee of national experts. You can read more about the development process here. The practical information and strategies found here are best practice recommendations for screening, diagnosis and treatment.

Guidelines for pregnancy

The following evidence-based guidelines have been developed by the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC) and the BC Centre on Substance Use (BCCSU).

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Guidelines

Principles of Care

Screening and Treatment Pathway

Withdrawal Management

Pharmacotherapy

Co-occurring Substance Use

Fetal and Infant Monitoring

Patient Handouts

Breast / Chest Feeding Calculator

Guideline Recommendations

The Society of Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada published Guideline No. 405: Screening and Counselling for Alcohol Consumption During Pregnancy in 2020. The BC Centre on Substance Use published Pregnancy Supplement – Provincial Guideline for the Clinical Management of High-Risk Drinking and Alcohol Use Disorder also in 2020. Clinicians may not know which resource to use. The two guidelines had similar recommendations related to screening and brief intervention. The scope of the BC pregnancy supplement included recommendations for withdrawal management, pharmacological treatment, and post-partum care. Here, the recommendations from both guidelines are compiled and are presented side-by-side in their original wording. Note that some of the language and terminology may not appear to be inclusive to the diversity of genders and identities of people who are pregnant. The 2023 expert committee for Canadian Alcohol and Pregnancy guidance intends for these recommendations to apply to all people of childbearing capacity and all people who are pregnant. The committee has also provided updates and additional suggestions in the last column.

Recommendations Side by Side:

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