More children have been affected by drinking during pregnancy than previously thought, according to a new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The study found that fetal alcohol syndrome may be at least as common as autism.

"Once you drink, and the effect is there, the damage is done," says Dr. Jill Rabin, an OBGYN at Northwell Health.

Complications include intellectual problems, physical problems, facial deformities and body growth issues.

The study tested 7,000 first-graders nationwide. It estimates that 1.1 to 5 percent of them have neurological damage. For comparison, 1.5 percent of children are on the autism spectrum.

Steve Chassman, of the nonprofit group LICADD, says people right now are mindful of opioid abuse, but alcohol still kills more people.

"Even though there were 64,000 fatalities nationally around opiates, there were 88,000 fatalities around alcohol," he says.

The doctors at Northwell Health say 50 percent of pregnancies are unplanned. If you find out your pregnant and you've been drinking, you need to stop immediately.