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AIBU?

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Original poster

Danish study shows that low alcohol drinking during pregnancy has no effect

46 replies

juniper44 · 10/02/2014 00:58

Here

Thoughts?

OP posts:
HelpTheSnailsAreComingToGetMe · 10/02/2014 01:09

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ComposHat · 10/02/2014 01:13

I thought this was already well known?

SqutterNutBaush · 10/02/2014 01:30

I still don't agree that drinking alcohol, no matter how little, in pregnancy is a particularly good thing.

expatinscotland · 10/02/2014 01:34

I'm past childbearing. I didn't drink once I knew I was pregnant, which was very early on. My choice. I do find it patronising, diagrams on the back if a bottle of wine.

HelpTheSnailsAreComingToGetMe · 10/02/2014 01:40

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Strokethefurrywall · 10/02/2014 01:42

The more studies the better as far as I'm concerned. Might mean that the world will stop judging pregnant women who do dare to enjoy a few drinks throughout their pregnancy.

MrsTerryPratchett · 10/02/2014 01:43

I still don't agree that drinking alcohol, no matter how little, in pregnancy is a particularly good thing. Because...

The problem with this kind of thing is that everything is open to interpretation. You can't 'assign' women to groups so what you are left with is correlation. Correlation is BAD. So, perhaps your control group of non-drinkers contained recovering alcoholics (who may have health issues), people of religious groups who also practice differences in diet and other matters. Skews your results.

HelpTheSnailsAreComingToGetMe · 10/02/2014 01:46

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arabellarubberplant · 10/02/2014 01:48

It's all cultural. All things in moderation.

The policing of women's bodies is ridiculous.

SqutterNutBaush · 10/02/2014 02:01

MrsTerryPratchett I don't agree its a good thing because its just not a risk I'd be willing to take but as i've started before on here having worked with children suffering from FAS I am overly cautious, and yes I do know FAS is caused by excessive consumption but personally I just couldn't.

I don't judge women for having one or two every now and again but I do judge those who insist on having one or two everyday but then I have thoughts on that for either gender anyway.

Not starring any facts just my personal opinions.

MrsTerryPratchett · 10/02/2014 03:11

I also work/ed with adults/children with FASD and that is one of the reasons that the hysteria about normal pregnant women having one drink annoys me so much.

People in general shouldn't drink every day or binge drink. Frankly if people stuck to the guidelines all the time, there wouldn't have to be a distinction in pregnancy.

cafecito · 10/02/2014 03:23

there are at least 10 mechanisms of FAS and they occur at different stages of pregnancy. There is therefore no 'safe' amount - very low amounts for some people will have no effect. For some people it will have an effect.

cafecito · 10/02/2014 03:27

egg

I'm sure I drank a small amount of alcohol while pregnant and many people drink before realising they are pregnant.

However now I have worked on research in the field there is no way I would repeat the choices I made in my 2 pregnancies - I would be very very careful not to drink.

grumpyoldbat · 10/02/2014 08:53

I think the main issue with alcohol is that some people's idea of what is low to moderate drinking is not necessarily the same as what the researchers have used in their study.

I've met people who say they don't drink much yet go through 10 bottles of wine per week.

ifyourehoppyandyouknowit · 10/02/2014 09:06

Perhaps we should ban all women of childbearing age from drinking alcohol, since you just never know.

Hmm
akachan · 10/02/2014 10:12

I can't stand the picture on bottles! They should have a picture of a beer-gutted man with a red line through it. They're much more likely to cause harm by drinking.

Meerka · 10/02/2014 10:20

The hysteria irritates me greatly. The danish study isn't the only one to show that small amounts are neither here nor there.

As someone said in the last thread, people are perfectly willing to take plenty of other risks including the amnio or cvs tests which have a (low) risk of loosing the baby. But the risk of -small- amounts of drink seem even less.

The big study which shows a correlation between FAS and 1 - 2 drinks a day was rather discredited when it came out that 40% of the women who had the 1-2 drinks a day were also taking cocaine! (mind you I haven't read the study in detail myself, this was from secondary but easily checkable reading)

Meerka · 10/02/2014 10:22

also the sheer hypocrisy annoys me. Brother in law called me an alcoholic when i had 1/4 small glass 4 % beer - this from a man who's had 3 big glasses of wine then -drove- home.

Feminine · 10/02/2014 10:25

I have never understood why Women can't just lay off the drinks once they know they are pregnant! Confused

9 months is not a great deal of time... is it?

Meerka · 10/02/2014 10:38

If there was any real need to, maybe they would ;)

grumpyoldbat · 10/02/2014 10:45

I don't understand the need to drink alcohol in anyone. That urge is completely absent in me. Mind you according to my colleague that makes me a fucking freak so I don't think my opinion is worth anything.

Pigeonhouse · 10/02/2014 10:49

Gosh, what's with the passive-aggressive italics and capitals, Feminine?

I agree with the majority - ideas about which foods and drinks are significantly dangerous to pregnant women are largely cultural, as anyone who's been pregnant in more than one country is all too aware...

And the bossy nannying of women - complete abstinence from alcohol urged when not necessary because women cannot apparently be trusted to make intelligent decisions about their own and their unborn child's health - is maddening.

HelloBoys · 10/02/2014 10:58

What happened back in the olden days when no-one had any idea about drinking during pregnancy and what it did or did not do?

A good friend about 6-7 years ago when 8 months pregnant drank a bit because she was emigrating (which didn't work out). She was getting evil looks from a few people yet you couldn't stop her drinking. Her DS is now the cleverest child in his class and was even as a baby.

HelloBoys · 10/02/2014 11:00

I also think - if you like an occasional drink all well and good. I'm not a heavy drinker, can take it or leave it but occasionally like a nice G&T. All in moderation.

You certainly should not overdo it and in first trimester I understand but surely if you drink whilst pregnant and you feel sick/doesn't feel nice you'd stop, right?

Birdsgottafly · 10/02/2014 11:06

If you read the report, they class two Units a week, as low consumption (that is how it translates across to the UK).

That is pure alcohol and when combined with the crap ingredients/chemicals in Alcohol Pops, which carry their own danger, during pregnancy.

I hope this is interpreted properly, before it is highlighted in the Media.

There is a difference between having a glass of Wine, or a Spirit in Fruit juice/Lemonade and still hitting town, downing WKD's.