Interesting and disturbing article about foetal alcohol syndrome.

[Callisto]

I found this article in the Sunday Torygraph yesterday, thought you'd all be interested: here.

LOL Katy! Yeah, me too, just eaten 2 packets of crisps on the trot, v.v.bad mummy...

dundeemarmalad, that's a really good idea - under maths, science or general studies (or even media studies) to teach people how to interpret statistics and the kinds of questions that need answering before you can say to a certain level of confidence that something is the case.

i actually think the usa laws are cool - they are protecting a baby that has no choice of whether to drink or not from one who does...but then i know i'll get kicked for saying that...

You shouldnt get kicked just for having an opinion that differs from the UK medical profession! It may be that USA is right shrugs but I guess as I live here I go by what my doctor tells me...

I know loads of people that do the whole organic thing etc, and while I might not agree I think its fair enough that they feel its important, wouldnt try and force my beliefs on them, or vice versa

Ditto to what Kittylette said.

Surely if there's a chance (no matter how small) of harming your baby you would avoid it.

And if it's unclear about how much of anything is safe,surely the safest thing to do is avoid is completely.

well, apparently that isn't the message i'm getting here...

you think women should be imprisoned for having a drink when pregnant? or smoking? or eating blue cheese? where would it end?

in France, the rules about what you can and cannot eat are different to the UK< who is to say the French are wrong and we are right?

i disagree with the USA laws, as putting the rights of an unborn child over the rights of the mother could lead to terrible situations arising....

If only all the world agreed with me! But alas, people have their own views and will insist on sticking to them! So annoying!

DontlookatmeImShy - taking that to extremes you'd spend the whole time in bed, or wrapped in cotton wool. Everything has risk. Some are easier or more convenient to avoid than others.

Surely being in prison is more of a risk to your unborn child than a glass of wine!
Plus, although I joked about it before, stress and guilt aren't good either.

Sorry I wasn't very clear. I was refering to things like avoiding alcohol, not smoking etc.

Obviously you can't avoid everything. Things that you do in everyday normal life like getting up, going to work, shopping etc, carry risks, thats life, and can't realistically be avoided. But things like smoking,drinking etc can and don't prevent (most people) functioning on a day to day basis.

Don't prevent people functioning if they giveit up I mean.

but smoking is categorically proven to damage babies too, so why not imprison women for smoking too? or a woman eats blue cheese, gets listeriosis , and baby is miscarried, shall she be imprisoned for manslaughter....?

you see, imprisoning women for drinking when pregnant is a dangerous precedent

DontlookatmeImShy, yes, I see what you mean, but where do you draw the line? Should we stop driving long distances to go on holiday or visit friends. Should I stop inviting round friends who smoke, even if they smoke away from me. DH has asthma - although I've tried my hardest to avoid peanuts (and that's another story - serious cravings!!) should I limit myself in the way children who have peanut allergies do? (i.e. they can't eat anything that might have ever come into contact with peanuts)

Don't know where my question marks went in that last post

I dont think imprisonment is the answer- stress is proven to have adverse effect on foetus- what if you refuse to stop working in your stressful job and something happens to the babe? Jail?

I'm not sure whether I agree with the imprisonment and i do think you should draw the line at drinking and smoking,or as you say the list could get ridiculous...

But I do think smoking and drinking alkcohol whilst pregnant should be illegal.

And although that will upset those people who think theres nothing wrong in having the odd glass at least it might have an effect on those who have a bottle regularly...

How can you make it illegal without the (ultimate) threat of imprisonment?

it doesn't upset me !

an i think that women who smoke heavily and drink heavily when pregnant, will continue to do so, regardless of advice or possible punishment, IMO

I don't know I don't know I don't know!!!!

Im just wish I could wave amagic wand and make everyone who is preganant give up smoking and drinking ...

mumto3girls - that means we'd all be in clink though - when my dh was being tested for various allergies he asked to be tested to allergy to alcohol. his consultant said no point really as the body produces alcohol all on its own.
am i supposed to be arrested if i can't hold my breath when walking past somebody smoking a fag? what if i'm drinking no-alcohol lager and pick up the wrong bottle? should that be one month locked up or six?
i accidentally some peanuts yesterday - should I perhaps be fined?

that should have been 'ate some peanuts' obviously. my home-made aluminium anti-solar-radiation helmet slipped and obscured my view of the keyboard.

Fair point Katy. You have to draw the line somewhere.
My dh also has asthma so I had the peanut dilemma too, especially when I saw a bag of roasted ones. They're the best

People getting through a bottle a day or similar are probably beyond being helped by being told what they are doing is illegal.

You'd just make criminals out of a lot of mums having a glass a week or something...