Drinking while pregnant?

[sorchag]

Hey what do you guys think of the news story about 1 in 5 children being born with FASD (Foetal alcohol spectrum disorder)? Does a little drink matter ?

[SinisterClownWatchingYou]

Link?

[Kannet]

Honestly those that want to have a drink will say it's rubbish, those that done will quote it.

[bobstersmum]

There are definitely not 1 in 5 babies born with fas.

[PinkHeart5914]

In your child is born with FASD you’ve had more than a “little drink” so if you couldn’t even do the best for baby then what kind of parent are they going to be really. All the information on not drinking too much is widely available, why do some still chose to ignore it to the point of giving the baby FASD, I find it shocking to be honest.

I didn’t drink anything in any of my pregnancies but I don’t think say for example 1 glass of wine now and then would cause any damage if someone wishes to have the odd drink and I wouldn’t judge someone for that

[sorchag]

here's the link news.sky.com/story/one-in-five-children-may-have-foetal-alcohol-spectrum-disorder-11567415

[cushioncuddle]

Are you referring to woman's hour on radio 4.
It's excellent that they are starting to do some research on it now.
The initial results are a bit shocking but it is early days.

[Awwlookatmybabyspider]

Well I'm no expert so I can't answer.
However. Would you give an alcoholic drink to a baby. Of course you wouldn't.
. However my mum smoked through both her pregnancies and me and sister were fine and we weren't tiny at birth.

[ARhythmlessMan]

Link to some expert analysis here www.sciencemediacentre.org/expert-reaction-to-screening-study-on-uk-prevalence-of-fetal-alcohol-spectrum-disorders-fasd/ , basically anti alcohol wonks will agree with the findings, real scientists will look at the data and conclude that it's highly that it's a highly inaccurate bit of scaremongering.

[peachypetite]

A little drink?

[ChardonnaysPrettySister]

What do you think, OP?

Just asking for other people’s opinions doesn’t make for a good discussion.

[Celebelly]

I think the answer is that no one really knows to what extent it can affect development. There's been research that shows even a small amount of alcohol (such as one drink's worth) can result in changes to a molecule critical for development - to what extent or even if that affects development to any tangible degree is still unknown. The truth is that no one really knows if 'an occasional drink' can cause changes or damage –that's why there is still so much research ongoing.

There was a lot of kickback from FAS organisations and experts after the publication of Expecting Better by Emily Oster, in which she concluded that a drink a day in the second and third trimesters is 'fine'. There's some interesting reading off the back of that about studies done.

As with everything, we have to make our own decisions about risk and what we're happy with. Personally speaking, alcohol is such an easy and trivial thing for me to avoid that I'm happy doing so for the duration of my pregnancy and never really considered otherwise.

[Howhot]

Their research is based on woman who were pregnant almost 20 years ago. I would hope we have moved on somewhat since then and that less people are drinking in pregnancy?

[MissBartlettsconscience]

I worry about this in that they appear to have extrapolated backwards from children with behavioural issues / learning issues of some kind and decided that it's due to FAS.

This is going back to the dreadful refrigerator mother theory for autism which has been rightly discredited.

Basically if the child isn't perfect it's going back to saying it's probably the mothers' fault because of something she did (or didn't do) when she may or may not know she's pregnant.

[TheChickenOfTruth]

www.theguardian.com/society/2018/nov/30/study-suggests-rate-of-foetal-alcohol-syndrome-disorder-higher-than-thought

This article has more information. Says the actual rate was "between 6% and 17% depending on the exact way in which the researchers did the screening"

So basically, they can make the figures say whatever they want. 6% is more consistent with the majority of studies who have found the rate to be under 5%.

“This study, as the authors themselves acknowledge, does not prove any causal link between pregnancy drinking and the developmental outcomes recorded, and may cause pregnant women and parents needless anxiety."

So basically, I'll avoid alcohol as instructed and not worry myself unnecessarily about one individual and very poorly executed study. The research is from responses from 1991 so are are almost as old as I am.

[AloneLonelyLoner]

I find those figures impossible to believe. It sounds like the Daily Mail and another stick to beat women with. FAS is from excessive long-term drinking/alcohol abuse during pregnancy. The occasional glass of wine is not a problem/

[BrightStarrySky]

The whole issue is a little weird and I think the complete abstinence advice is counter productive because people think the NHS is treating us all like potential alcoholics who can’t control our drink.

I personally kept away from alcohol when I knew I was pregnant but many friends still had a few. What I found weird was the number of people who would tell me it’s dine to have one pregnant when I would say I wasn’t drinking. If a pregnant woman declines a drink, why try to change her mind? Weird.

[ADastardlyThing]

A little drink every now and then? No, it doesn't matter imo, to answer your question.

[ReggieKrayDoYouKnowMyName]

I once taught a girl with severe FAS and her biological mother had been drinking up to a bottle and half of vodka a day during pregnancy. This is not usual day-to-day drinking. As PPs have said, the occasional glass of wine doesn’t cause FAS.

[Littlebelina]

Agree with Arhthymlessman. Typical example of poor science reporting in the media (although the guardian article and the one in the Torygraph are more balanced even though the headlines were pure click bait). Another stick to beat people with, esp women who might have been drinking before they knew they were pregnant.