WIBU to have one small beer at 5 weeks pregnant?

[BlackberryQ]

It's a lovely wedding celebration outside on a hot day. How much harm could it do?

I'm on the fence and you can talk me out of it if it's really a bad idea!

I read the study you posted Reborn. The glaring flaw is that it relied on women self-reporting their alcohol intake. It's very well known that people under-report alcohol consumption to medical professionals. We have no way of knowing how many of the

I've read more research on this than pretty much anyone, you haven't shown me anything I haven't seen before. And frankly the quality of your proof is poor. There is far far more out there that supports my viewpoint rather than yours. But it's not my job to find it for you.....

Absolutely @Pencils, self reporting will always be a weakness in research. I personally can't see away around this. As such, I'll continue to err on the side of caution and advise no alcohol. It's the only way to ensure 100% safety.

I'm pretty much done arguing with you @grandoleduke. I won't change your mind any more than you'll change mine. I would question one thing though, if I may. Assuming you've already seen Professor Hepper's work, since you tell me you've considered more research than anyone; after watching the effect alcohol has on fetus', would it make you think twice before reaching for a glass of wine? Genuine question by the way.

I can't be bothered to rtft, sorry, so apols if I'm repeating someone, but I thought five weeks was before the placenta formed and attached properly so the alcohol can't get to the baby? I'm sure that's what the midwife told me when I found out I was six weeks pregnant on my return from an all-inclusive holiday where I spent every night getting blotto with my little bro

At 5 weeks no, I wouldn't have more than a polite sip of fizz for a toast. So much rapid foetal development is happening at this stage and alcohol can cause issues if the timing is right (or wrong!). One of my DCs has a deformity that the specialist says could have been caused by early alcohol exposure (I had a rare night out with just 2 glasses of wine at around 4 weeks, before I knew I was pregnant).
After say 16 weeks, then a small glass of something is fine. X

Absolutely @Pencils, self reporting will always be a weakness in research. I personally can't see away around this. As such, I'll continue to err on the side of caution and advise no alcohol. It's the only way to ensure 100% safety.

Will you be doing the same with everything else that we can't establish a 100% safe limit for?

@Pencils. Give me an example please.

I mean, alcohol is a known teratogen so that's a no brainer. What are you talking about here exactly?

Sorry, that was meant for @Senator

Assuming you've already seen Professor Hepper's work, since you tell me you've considered more research than anyone; after watching the effect alcohol has on fetus', would it make you think twice before reaching for a glass of wine? Genuine question by the way

I'd seen it long before my last pregnancy and no, it did not stop me having a glass of wine. Because I've read the actual study and surrounding materials, not merely seen the biased and inaccurate video presentation or media reporting that you are promoting. And furthermore, I actually understood it.

I'm going to a wedding when I will be approx 20 weeks and considered sipping the champagne/prosecco provided for the toast but, everything else aside, I don't think I could deal with being judged by anyone.

I'm talking about any of the substances or actions where we've not yet established a 100% risk free rate for pregnant women reborn. You presumably know that something doesn't have to be a known teratogen to be a potential risk, so I'm afraid I'm not reassured by your 'no brainer' assertion.

jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/article-abstract/2630627

This is a recent paper from Australian researchers. They found that even low levels of alcohol exposure - no more than 2 drinks at a time and no more than 7 drinks a week could change toddler's faces.

The question is whether it affects brains as well but I think it's fairly naive to think of FAS as a sort of a "switch on or off" type condition.

How is more than 7 drinks a week when you're pregnant low level exposure? That's loads!

I've just read that study. It's so riddled with issues I wouldn't wipe my babies bum with it.

I would - the danger of having 1 drink while pregnant is massively blown out proportion IMHO

grandOle and yet it was published in JAMA. Why don't you write to the editor?

Senator low level exposure was no more than seven drinks, so seven or fewer.

You don't think that everything published in a journal is automatically good quality research, do you?

Oh bless. That's sweet.

Dear JAMA editor. I have read the full text of your recent article on prenatal alcohol exposure affecting babies' craniofacial structure.

Personally, I wouldn't wipe my own babies (sic) bum with it.

Signed - granOle

Very convincing.

Convincing who, of what? You seem confused. Why would I need to write to the editor, I imagine they read it and can see the issues with it. Did you?

Even so, 7 is massively different from 1. Which leads me to wonder why they've shoved such varying levels of consumption in together. It's either poorly designed on purpose or accidentally, neither of which is ideal!

Fascinating @grandolejuke. This research was only published in 2016. As you read it "long before" your last pregnancy, you have an ickle baby at home. Congratulatons!

It was also published in a specific book, not a journal. Care to share with the group the name of that book? Sharing is caring after all. I'm sorry to hear the research wasn't up to your standards. Impressive that you've read all the research included in the literature review though. Qudos. Any stand out pieces of research there that you'd like to point out? Perhaps there was one that categorically proved there was no risk consuming alcohol in pregnancy? And also, congratulations on understanding it all. Although, that's pretty essential I'd have thought?

It's surprising to me, however, that it didn't stop and make you think. It certainly gave me pause for reflection. As it was the first study of it's kind, where we actually saw the visual effect of alcohol on the fetus, I thought that was pretty thought provoking. It had the same effect on the majority of my colleagues. Different strokes for different folks and all that though.

I also look forward to following this study as he intends to follow the children's development going forward. But, of course, you know he's doing that too.

@senator, still not exactly sure what your question is, sorry.

If you're asking me if I am aware of a substance or action that has proven damaging effects on an unborn fetus and which can be easily avoided, then yes, of course I'd advise to avoid doing that or ingesting that. Weird question though.

Fascinating @grandolejuke. This research was only published in 2016. As you read it "long before" your last pregnancy, you have an ickle baby at home. Congratulatons!

Hepper work was first published in 1999, with several similar studies afterwards. Do read a bit more widely, won't you?

I'm not talking about old studies @granolejuke. I would have thought that was obvious. I'm talking about the one that deals specifically with low level alcohol consumption in pregnancy. You know the one you've told me you read and found fault with ages ago?