When a pregnant woman drinks alcohol, so does her unborn baby. Alcohol in the mother’s blood passes through the placenta to the baby through the umbilical cord. Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, and a range of lifelong disorders, known as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs). The effects of FASDs can include physical problems (such as abnormal facial features) and problems with behavior and learning (such as lower-than-average weight and nervous system abnormalities). Often, a person with an FASD has a mix of these problems.