History Main / OneDrinkWillKillTheBaby

* In the FurryComic ''Shanda The Panda'', the major character Missy is a classic case of being a reasonably functional victim of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome courtesy of her cold-hearted mother, who refused to stop drinking during her pregnancy.

* In Literature/{{Discworld}} fic ''Hyperemesis Gravidarum'' by Creator/AAPessimal, expectant mother Johanna Smith-Rhodes is rendered irritable for nine months by medical advice not to have anything alcoholic. [[note]]Her daughter turns out to be a good-natured and even-tempered young woman[[/note]]. Later on in her second pregnancy, she decides "to Hell with it" and drinks normally. This daughter turns out to be a complete [[{{Tykebomb}} hell-raiser]].
* ''FanFic/LoveCanSurpriseYouAtAnyTimeInYourLife'': Implied in the third chapter. Leela grabs a beer for Bender on a mission and considers getting one for herself, but decides against it. Her reasoning is that it'd be irresponsible to drink while she's flying the ship, but she's also just learned she's pregnant, albeit still in denial about it. Given that she'd easily put the ship in cruise control, it's implied the latter reason is why she's not drinking.

* In Literature/{{Discworld}} fic ''Hyperemesis Gravidarum'' by Creator/AAPessimal, expectant mother Johanna Smith-Rhodes is rendered irritable for nine months by medical advice not to have anything alcoholic. [[note]]Her daughter turns out to be a good-natured and even-tempered young woman[[/note]]. Later on in her second pregnancy, she decides "to Hell with it" and drinks normally. This daughter turns out to be a complete [[{{Tykebomb}} hell-raiser]]. [[/folder]]

--->''[[[OminousLatinchanting Gregorian Chant]]]'' Aye Ca-Rum-BA]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0vNq3zt_7A Aye Ca-Rum-BA]]

* In ''WesternAnimation/BigMouth'' Maury is questioned when [[MrSeahorse he]] is seen smoking a cigar and if it's bad for the baby. He explains it's actually good for developing hormone monsters.
* ''WesternAnimation/BobsBurgers'': In "Ear-sy Rider," the One-Eyed Snakes are partying and drinking beer in the diner, much to Bob's chagrin. Among them is Mudflap. She is heavily pregnant but drinking as hard as the rest. Bob seems to think she shouldn't be doing that but, since she and her friends are all BadassBiker[=s=], he is not about to stop her. Mudflap gives birth later in the episode, and the baby seems healthy.

** Parodied in the twentieth season episode "Double, Double, Boy in Trouble," where a {{Flashback}} shows a single drop of sprayed alcohol going down Marge's throat by accident, whereupon it changes the nondescript baby boy inside her into a [[PsychoticSmirk wickedly smirking]] Bart.
--> [[OminousLatinchanting (Gregorian Chant) Aye Ca-Rum-BA]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0vNq3zt_7A Aye Ca-Rum-BA]]

** Another episode, where Marge and Homer return to the mini-golf course where Bart was conceived, Marge notes how they drank so much on that night, and Homer comments "Yeah, I thought Bart would be born a dimwit." Marge merely gives a nervous chuckle.

** In the episode "The Judge", a recently-pregnant Princess Carolyn visits her boyfriend Ralph's parents but isn't ready to tell them she's pregnant yet. They offer her some alcohol to calm down, but she declines. They [[SerialEscalation keep insisting she indulge in something else,]] such as cocaine, smoking, standing around secondhand smoke, some highly-caffeinated coffee, a quick punch in the stomach to make her feel alive, or a ride on their extremely fast rollercoaster. Eventually, Ralph has to step in and change the subject.
** In the next episode "Ruthie", Princess Carolyn is hesitant to drink coffee, but Ralph allows her to have a little sip. [[spoiler:She later miscarries, but it's unclear if this is connected to the coffee, especially since it had been pointed out earlier in the season that it's hard to have children at her age and the reveal she's had four miscarriages beforehand.]]

* In the ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' episode "Cartman Joins NAMBLA", Kenny tries to stop his parents from having another child. [[GroinAttack Throwing a baseball at his dad's groin]] doesn't work, so he mixes a drink laced with abortion pills for his pregnant mother. She tells him she can't drink, so her husband downs it instead. Kenny warns him, [[PottyEmergency but it's too late.]]

No amount of alcohol is known to be safe for a developing baby and this will likely forever remain a mystery, as scientists can't exactly ask a group expecting mothers to drink different amounts of booze and see how morbid the baby gets. The only thing certain is that "none" is less than whatever the safe amount is, if a safe amount exists at all. This leads many women to play it safe and swear off the liquor entirely as soon as they miss their period, or even when they decide to actively start trying for a baby.

We all know about [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fetal_alcohol_spectrum_disorder Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder aka Fetal Alcohol Syndrome]], the irreversible brain damage and physical deformities that result from prenatal exposure to alcohol. Alcohol consumption during pregnancy also tends to increase the number of miscarriages and decrease the birth weight of the baby (generally a bad thing for the baby). No amount of alcohol is known to be safe for a developing baby and this will likely forever remain a mystery, as scientists can't ethically ask hundreds of expecting mothers to go on a bender and see what happens. The only thing certain is that "none" is definitely less than whatever the safe amount is, if a safe amount exists at all. This leads many women to play it safe and swear off the booze entirely as soon as she misses her period, or even when she decides to actively start trying for a baby.

* ''Series/{{Monk}}'' had a case where a murdered city councilwoman's pregnant receptionist fills in for her during an important vote. After the vote, someone suggests going out for drinks and the receptionist refuses for obvious reasons. Suddenly, Monk remembers a comment made by [[spoiler:another council member that the councilwoman wouldn't have been drinking then. (Her body hadn't been found yet.) He then realizes that the councilwoman was in a relationship with the councilman and attempted a BabyTrap.]]

* ''Theatre/IfThen'': In both timelines, it becomes clear to [[spoiler:Elizabeth]]'s friends that she must be pregnant if she's not drinking at her own birthday party.

An example of TruthInTelevision. A survey of U.S. bar workers confirms that most would refuse point blank to serve an alcoholic drink to a visibly pregnant woman. However, it's sometimes ''slightly'' averted, as some midwives and even gynecologists have said that half a glass of wine or even a full glass of wine (usually red, for some reason) is acceptable or even ''healthy'' (it's not).

* As recently as the early 1980s, an old wives' tale held that a pregnant woman drinking a small amount of wine or a small amount of beer was actually ''beneficial'' to a fetus. Recent scientific studies have suggested this old wives' tale [[http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/InTheNews/MedicalReports/GeneralHealth/20090324114942.html was actually right]].

* In the ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' episode "Cartman Joins NAMBLA", Kenny tries to stop his parents from having another child. [[GroinAttack Throwing a baseball at his dad's groin]] doesn't work, so he mixes a drink laced with abortion pills for his pregnant mother. She tells him she can't drink, so her husband downs it instead. Kenny warns him, [[TheFoodPoisoningIncident but it's]] [[PottyEmergency too late.]]

* In ''WesternAnimation/BigMouth'' Maury is questioned when [[MrSeahorse he]] is seen smoking a cigar and if it's bad for the baby. He explains it's actually food for hormone monsters.

* In ''VideoGame/FalloutShelter'', female Vault Dwellers assigned to a bar will drink Nuka-Cola instead of beer if they're pregnant. [[ICantBelieveItsNotHeroin This may not be]] [[ILoveNuclearPower much of an improvement.]]

* Inverted in Robertson Davies' ''The Lyre Of Orpheus'', where Maria drinks milk with rum in it while pregnant on the advice of her doctor (to help her sleep). The possibility of FAS is only brought up by a character who's treated as a crazy hippie by the narrative, and in fact the doctor seems more concerned that Maria might put on too much weight from drinking milk! (We now know that it is very important for pregnant women to consume plenty of calcium to help the foetus's skeleton develop.) While it's true that drinking in very small amounts is unlikely to harm a foetus, it's equally unlikely that a doctor would recommend it.

* In Colby Rodowsky's ''Lucy Peale'' Lucy asks Jake for a beer because she currently can't stomach milk.

* In Elizabeth George's Inspector Lynley novel ''Just One Evil Act'', Angelina Upman is on Italian TV with her former and current boyfriends pleading for information on her missing daughter, and initially does not partake when her current boyfriend offers wine to the police and media there. Then her former boyfriend (who is a Muslim and doesn't drink anyway) asks if she wants some, but as she reaches for it her current boyfriend yells that she shouldn't "during this time especially" and everyone nearby instantly figures out that this means she's pregnant. In an earlier scene when Lynley met with her he observed that she had water while the rest of them had wine, but didn't think much of it until her boyfriend's outburst. In the end, this trope ends up {{double subverted}} [[spoiler:since technically that one drink ''did'' kill the baby -- and the mother, since it turned out it had been laced with E. Coli by the current boyfriend, who didn't realize that the former boyfriend didn't drink and intended it for him to [[MurderTheHypotenuse get him out of the way]]]].

* In ''Going Too Far'' by Catherine Alliott, protagonist Polly believes she's had a one-night-stand with a married man. Subsequently, when she discovers she's pregnant, she hesitates to drink whilst in a pub. Her companion instantly guesses Polly is pregnant, but Polly, not wanting her secret to come out, lies that she's just trying to be healthier.

* ''The Way We Were'' averted this. ValuesDissonance hits the movie hard when we see the visibly pregnant Katie holding a cigarette in one hand, and a glass of liquor in the other.
* There was similar ValuesDissonance in ''Skyjacked'', which has a visibly pregnant passenger order a Bloody Mary on the rocks.

* Played apparently straight in ''Italian For Beginners''. Two long-lost sisters discover each other at the funeral of their father, shortly before their alcoholic mother died. The younger sister is so clumsy she can't hold down a job. The older sisters' nurse friend says this may well be fetal alcohol poisoning. It's then subverted in that the mother is treated for alcohol-related disease earlier in the movie.

We all know about [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fetal_alcohol_spectrum_disorder Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder aka Fetal Alcohol Syndrome]], the irreversible brain damage and physical deformities that result from prenatal exposure to alcohol. No amount of alcohol is known to be safe for a developing baby and this will likely forever remain a mystery, as scientists can't ethically ask hundreds of expecting mothers to go on a bender and see what happens. The only thing certain is that "none" is definitely less than whatever the safe amount is, if a safe amount exists at all. This leads many women to play it safe and swear off the booze entirely as soon as she misses her period, or even when she decides to actively start trying for a baby.

An example of TruthInTelevision. A survey of U.S. bar workers confirms that most would refuse point blank to serve an alcoholic drink to a visibly pregnant woman.

* In Literature/{{Discworld}} fic ''Hyperemesis Gravidarum'' by Creator/AAPessimal, expectant mother Johanna Smith-Rhodes is rendered irritable for nine months by medical advice not to have anything alcoholic. [[note]]Her daughter turns out to be a good-natured and even-tempered young woman[[/note]]. Later on in her second pregnancy, she decides "to Hell with it" and drinks normally. This daughter turns out to be a complete [[{{Tykebomb}} herll-raiser]]. [[/folder]]

[[/folder]]

* As recently as the early 1980s, an old wives' tale in many cultures, including some [[ChristianityIsCatholic Catholic]] cultures (such as some Irish and Italian cultures), stereotyped as having ''lots'' of healthy children due to [[TruthInTelevision birth control restrictions]] while also using wine in their Mass, held that a pregnant woman drinking a small amount of wine or a small amount of beer was actually ''beneficial'' to a fetus. Recent scientific studies have suggested some Italian grandmothers [[http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/InTheNews/MedicalReports/GeneralHealth/20090324114942.html are right,]] as always, on this issue.
* In the 1940s, doctors sometimes advised new mothers to drink Guinness stout because the yeast in the brew was supposed to promote milk production.
** Some doctors will still recommend that if a nursing mother has trouble letting milk down, she can have a drink (ONE drink, as in, just one beer, or a glass of wine) to relax before nursing.
** On a related note, [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucy_Wills Lucy Wills]] found that anemia in pregnant women could be treated with yeast extract, the most available source being Marmite - a yeast extract that is a by-product of beer production.
* While current [[FunWithAcronyms National Institute for Clinical Excellency]] guidelines advise teetotalism during the first three months of pregnancy, the guidelines also state that consuming no more than two units of alcohol up to twice a week has not been shown as harmful to foetuses and that consumption of more than 7.5 units is proven to increase the risk of birth defects and other problems.
* A survey of bartenders showed that most would not serve alcohol to women who appeared to be pregnant. Some fear lawsuits because with the US being [[FrivolousLawsuit such a litigious society,]] a mom could come back years later and attempt to sue the bartender for every problem her child ever had. (No one has ever tried it, and it's unlikely she would win, but who wants to take that chance?)
** This is why, in January 2011, [[http://abcnews.go.com/US/pregnant-lady-turned-illinois-bar/story?id=12600511&page=1 a woman was kicked out of a bar just for being pregnant,]] despite the fact that she wasn't, and had no plans to be, drinking alcohol.
** On the other hand, a sex-discrimination case could be made against the bar for ''refusing'' service, especially if the woman was ''not'' pregnant and the [[MistakenForPregnant bartender just assumed.]] TIPPS classes actually avert this trope and tell you that, against your first instinct, you should serve the woman, because it would be much harder to prove ''yours'' was the One Drink that killed the baby than that you turned a customer away.
* [[InvertedTrope Inverted]] when it comes to nicotine and tobacco. While it can harm the baby, the stress from suddenly going cold turkey from nicotine can have a much greater effect on the baby. However, talk to an obstetrician before you try this. [[AndKnowingIsHalfTheBattle Don't blindly follow medical advice from the internet.]]
* If you think pregnant women could get out of this by simply avoiding alcoholic beverages, you're wrong. There have been concerns over caffeine use, as some studies have shown a slight correlation with miscarriage in early pregnancy, which is why decaffeinated coffee and tea have been promoted to pregnant women. Music/{{Pink}} was criticized for posting a picture of her drinking decaf, because decaf contains ''trace'' amounts. Pregnant women are also increasingly warned off of undercooked eggs and lunch meats due to the possibility of food poisoning.

We all know about [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fetal_alcohol_spectrum_disorder Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder aka Fetal Alcohol Syndrome]], the irreversible brain damage and physical deformities that result from prenatal exposure to alcohol. No amount of alcohol is known to be safe for a developing baby and this will likely forever remain a medical mystery, as scientists can't ethically ask hundreds of expecting mothers to go on a bender and see what happens. The only thing certain is that "none" is definitely less than whatever the safe amount is, if a safe amount exists at all. This leads many women to play it safe and swear off the booze entirely as soon as she misses her period, or even when she decides to actively start trying for a baby.

We all know about [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fetal_alcohol_spectrum_disorder Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder aka Fetal Alcohol Syndrome]], the irreversible brain damage and physical deformities that result from prenatal exposure to alcohol. But it will forever remain a medical mystery ''how much'' alcohol it takes to do ''how much'' harm, as scientists can't ethically ask hundreds of expecting mothers to go on a bender and see what happens. The only thing certain is that "none" is definitely less than whatever the safe amount is, if a safe amount exists at all. This leads many women and doctors to advise that they play it safe and swear off the booze entirely as soon as they miss their first period, or even when they decide to actively start trying for a baby.

We all know about [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fetal_alcohol_spectrum_disorder Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder aka Fetal Alcohol Syndrome]], the irreversible brain damage and physical deformities that results from prenatal exposure to alcohol. However, it will forever remain a medical mystery ''how much'' alcohol it takes to do ''how much'' harm, as scientists can't ethically ask hundreds of expectant mothers at varying stages of pregnancy to go on a bender and see what happens. The only thing certain is that "none" is definitely less than whatever the safe amount is, if a safe amount exists at all. This leads many women and doctors to advise that they play it safe and swear off the booze entirely as soon as they miss their first period, or even when they decide to actively start trying for a baby.

We all know about [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fetal_alcohol_spectrum_disorder Fetal Alcohol Syndrome]], the irreversible brain damage that results from prenatal exposure to alcohol. The problem is, nobody is sure ''how much'' alcohol it takes to do ''how much'' harm, and nobody is in a hurry to do an in-depth study on it. At the risk of stating the obvious, scientists can't ethically tell a group of expecting mothers to go on a bender and see what happens. The only thing certain is that "none" is definitely less than whatever the safe amount is, if a safe amount exists at all. This leads many women and doctors to advise that they play it safe and swear off the booze entirely as soon as they miss their first period, or even when they decide to actively start trying for a baby.

We all know about [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fetal_alcohol_spectrum_disorder Fetal Alcohol Syndrome]], the irreversible brain damage that results from prenatal exposure to alcohol. The problem is, nobody is sure ''how much'' alcohol it takes to do ''how much'' harm, and nobody is in a hurry to do an in-depth study on it. With the medical community in a state of permanent indecision about how much alcohol can safely be consumed by a pregnant woman (they can't exactly tell a control group of expecting mothers to go on a bender and see what happens), the only thing certain is that "none" is definitely less than whatever the "safe" amount is, if a safe amount exists at all. This leads many women and doctors to advise that they play it safe and swear off the booze entirely as soon as they miss their first period, or even when they decide to actively start trying for a baby.