Is Non-alcoholic beer & wine safe during pregnancy?
Sources differ. "Non-alcoholic" drinks can contain up to 0.5% alcohol (sometimes more), so MotherToBaby advises avoiding them in pregnancy.
What the sources say
In the US, "alcohol-free" means no detectable alcohol, but "non-alcoholic" can legally contain up to 0.5% ABV, and a study found 13 of 45 tested drinks exceeded their labels (some >1%). MotherToBaby advises avoiding no- or low-alcohol beers in pregnancy for this reason; a 2025 AJOG review called moderate use likely safe but noted fetal effects haven't been studied. We follow the cautious view in pregnancy; products labeled "alcohol-free" (no detectable alcohol) avoid the issue. While breastfeeding, the review found minimal infant alcohol exposure with moderate use.
Also listed as
non-alcoholic beer, na beer, alcohol-free beer, non alcoholic wine, alcohol-free wine, dealcoholized wine, athletic brewing, heineken 0.0, zero alcohol beer, mocktail, low-alcohol beer
Sources
- MotherToBaby: Alcohol (MotherToBaby Fact Sheets)
- NIH/PubMed (peer-reviewed): Perinatal use of non-alcoholic beverages that mirror alcohol (Am J Obstet Gynecol, 2025)
- CDC: About Alcohol Use During Pregnancy
Last reviewed . This is general information, not medical advice. Ask your doctor or midwife about your own situation.