Which of the following is NOT a risk factor for fetal alcohol syndrome according to the discussed material?

• A. Social drinking
• B. Binge drinking
• C. Mixing alcohol with drugs
• D. Drug abuse

Answer: (A)

The main idea is that how alcohol exposure happens during pregnancy matters for risk, not just whether any alcohol is consumed. The material treats binge drinking, mixing alcohol with other drugs, and drug abuse as patterns or behaviors that raise the risk of fetal alcohol-related harm. Binge drinking creates high peaks of alcohol in the bloodstream, increasing the fetus’s exposure during critical development windows. Mixing alcohol with drugs adds potential interactions and greater overall risk, while ongoing drug abuse during pregnancy often means sustained or more severe exposure.

Social drinking, in contrast, isn’t listed as a risk factor in the discussed material. It’s framed as a less intense pattern of use, so it’s not identified as a factor that increases risk in that context. Of course, broader medical guidance often notes that no amount of alcohol is proven safe during pregnancy, but within this material’s framework, social drinking isn’t treated as a risk factor, making it the correct choice for NOT being a risk factor.