To be disappointed in hearing that many UK woman drink during pregnancy [shock]

[Leati]

Yesterday, I was on a thread when some of the women started questioning about US policy on drinking alcohol during pregnancies. One of the women had heard that if you have a glass of wine, you could be arrested. I assured her that wasn't true but there was chance that if you were visibly pregnant that the restaurant or bar might exercise their right to refuse service. And if a pediatrician became suspicious of drug or alcohol abuse, they could have the baby?s blood tested at birth. If the baby is found to have these in their blood, the child will be taken away. Another woman pitched that she found it disturbing that restaurants had signs warning pregnant women.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. These women seemed to believe it was actually okay to drink during their pregnancies. Hadn't they heard of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. So today, I did a little research and was shocked to learn that it is a big problem in the UK and that there is little education about it there.

Women who are angry over mothers choosing the bottle over nursing are damaging their children by drinking alcohol. This is not minor damage, in some case it is equivalent to severe mental retardation and in others it less obvious cognitive problems. Overall nearly 10% of babies born in the UK are suffering from some sort of cognitive problems directly related to alcohol exposure in the womb.

What broke my heart the most is that I have been on this site and I know that the mothers on this site care so much for their children. That while I may not always agree with everything said and our perspectives are not always the same, that we share a common love for our children. So I felt compelled to start this thread and share the information. I hope that you will share it, with your loved ones and it may spread.

I have attached some sites so you can research this yourself. These sites are both from the UK and the US.

www.fasaware.co.uk/

www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/west/series2/fetal_alcohol_syndro mfaspregnancydrinkinglearning_difficulties.shtml

www.healthychildrenproject.org/glossa ry/

i've always wanted a soapbox.......

bobsmum

I think you are missing my point. I am bothered that it socially acceptable for pregnant women to drink in the UK. I also have no problem with people drinking, unless pregnant or driving a car.

Botbot

What do you want me to call you?

And mental retardation is the term that the medical sites use, but if you have a name that more comforting I am willing to listen.

but bobsmums comment was about pregnant women, in the us 10% of pregnant women drink, and 2% of those binge drink regularily, that doesnt sound like a good statistic does it?

maybe you should first be educating the US

WHO website post statistic for both countries, they even break it up into men, women, and children.

SleeplessInTheStaceym11House said 'but bobsmums comment was about pregnant women, in the us 10% of pregnant women drink, and 2% of those binge drink regularily, that doesnt sound like a good statistic does it?

maybe you should first be educating the US'

Yes that may be so, but Leati's point is that it is NOT socially acceptable.

Well that may be the case but its not stopped them according to those stats has it?

'Women' would be nice, since that is what we are.

Not sure British sites would use 'mental retardation' - might be wrong though.

StaceyM - Over 90% of the UK population dink alcohol according to patient.co.uk (the information that GPs print out at the surgery for patients).

It's all the communion wine

The US has a completely different view towards alcohol than the UK. The 21 age limit must lead to a different perception to drink in general.

Framework for alcohol policy in the WHO European region:

Pregnancy
Alcohol crosses the placenta to the baby. It can cause problems during pregnancy
and can also harm the fetus. It is not known whether or not there is any safe level
of alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Nor is it certain if any particular stage
of pregnancy is the most vulnerable to the effects of drinking. In the absence of demonstrated safe limits, abstinence from alcohol during pregnancy is recommended
and should be encouraged.

(emphasis mine)

Although some of us might be men, so how about 'people'?

and in the UK we tend to use the term Foetus, rather than fetus.

The thread title would suggest that there is only one woman in the uk who drinks during pg.

Don't you think perhaps you should concentrate on your own fucked up country first and then flit across the pond and have a go at us???

I don't think Leati is the arbiter of what is and isn't socially acceptable either here or in the US.

She has already stated in her article that bottle feeding is not socially acceptable in the UK which is laughable. (Might not be on MN though )

i can't believe you are all laughing at such a serious topic.

dont you know that everytime someone on mumsnet makes a joke the baby Jesus forces a Christian Evangelist to down a tequila slammer?

Surely if its not socially acceptable in the states, and there is still the 2% or whatever, it shows that this kind of method doesn't work?

Leati - I too am cutting and pasting. Please read below. The US consume less alcohol - however please see facts below. Methinks one should get ones house in order before trying to clean up someone elses.

The USA has one of the worst DUI driving accident rates in the developed world while having lower to mid-range rates of alcohol consumption.[citation needed]

The UK has a DUI accident rate less than half the USA.....

(this kind of method meaning the throwing google things at people, not abstaining)

very right MrsFish.

Bobsmum, now i would have thought it was less than that.

I can see the US obviously have a different view to alcohol but as MrsFish stats the fact it is not socially acceptable has not stopped it from happening

....and sulphur rather and sulfur.....wanders away from this singularly unpleasent thread where people feel the need to lecuture the poor unwashed, illeducated 'ladies' of the uk......

"I am bothered that it socially acceptable for pregnant women to drink in the UK. I also have no problem with people drinking, unless pregnant or driving a car."

I'll make no comment about the grammar here - just ask a few questions:

-how about driving a bus?
-or piloting an aircraft?
-or carrying out surgery?
-teaching children?

I could go on, but I won't ...

Dal21 - we could go on - teen pregnancies in the US are the highest in the Western world according to coolnurse.com (a US school nurse site).

dal21 now that is very interesting!

Women,

I don't think it is right that 10% of American women drink alcohol while pregnant and that 2% of those binge drink. I have already acknowledged that my country has its own problems.

The difference is I genuinely believe that you ladies really care about you children and have been failed by you medical system. The 10% of American women who drink have been advised since school on the dangers of drinking alcohol and they chose to ignore it.

I have a half-brother who was born at 6 months and he was less than 2lbs at birth. His mother knew the dangers of drugs but she either didn't want or didn't have the will to stop. After, spending the first three months in the hospital and several surgeries, his druggie mother abandoned him.

touching story but what has that got to do with the conversation?

This is the dumbest thread I've seen in all my time on MN!
I'm so glad I live in a country that assumes I can think for myself.