Hopeless "Sorry if I've missed a salient point but how do those who teach or work with children with leading difficulties know how much, if indeed any, alcohol their mothers frank during pregnancy. I'm completely failing to see a causal link."
Just to clarify:
There are obviously many causes of mild learning difficulties in children. I'm not saying for one moment that any of my current student have learning difficulties because their mother's drank while pregnant.
However -as there is ( I think) some evidence certainly that moderate drinking can cause problems for some children and possibly even light drinking (see below) I'm just concerned as I wouldn't want a child to be affected by this.
Evidence's post is great but in the main is talking about miscarriages/health of infant rather than learning difficulties. she does say this:
"It remains a controversial topic, and there are certainly some studies that do show increased risk of behavioural issues etc with moderate drinking (rather than light drinking), but the methodologies are often questionable and the outcomes not consistent. Unlike smoking, which is unequivocally harmful."
she doesn't comment on the specific study I mentioned above which does mention light drinking:
Ref:Maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy may delay the development of spontaneous fetal startle behaviour
Hepper, P., Dornan, J. R. C. & Little, J. F. 17 Jan 2005 In : Physiology & Behavior. 83(5), 5, p. 711-714
Tondo - it isn't my fault you have to pay to read the entire study - that is common to most scientific publications including probably most of the ones Evidence has referenced. However I would think that if anyone wanted to read it and email Dr Hepper at Queens University Belfast, he might probably send you an electronic copy of the paper. I'm sorry your links don't work Howver you can I think see the same bit of video is on the advice to midwives link I did link to ages ago).