I'd like to know if past alcohol use can affect future pregnancies. I drank frequently, sometimes binge drinking, when I was about 18-28. Now I'm 30 and don't drink. I would like to get pregnant sometime soon, but I keep wondering if the alcohol I drank during my 20s could have harmed my eggs. Since they're in my body, wouldn't they have been exposed to all that alcohol? Will a fetus of mine have a higher chance of birth defects?

-- L.

Luckily, if your liver function has not suffered, you should have no concern. Excessive alcohol abuse may result in permanent damage to the liver, a condition called cirrhosis. This condition can interfere with hormonal evaluation or cause bleeding abnormalities that can interfere with conception.

I would assume, though, that you are presently in good health and your menstrual cycles are normal. If so, you can rest assured that your eggs have been protected and that evidence to date suggests that you are at no greater risk of having an abnormal baby than someone else your age.