DRINKING MOTHERS
Wednesday, September 5, 2007 at 08:53AM I was rather intrigued by this latest research that suggests that women's drinking while pregnant could harm their babies. The study, carried out by Belfast-based doctor Kieran O'Malley, has shown that drinking alcohol, especially during the last six months of pregnancy, is linked to cases of Attention Deficit Disorder and Asperger's Syndrome. Meanwhile research carried out at the Coombe Hospital in Dublin during the summer has shown that 80% of Irish women drink alcohol when they're pregnant, compared to 25% across Europe.
I know that when my wife was pregnant with our two kids, she did not drink any alcohol - and in sympathy with here neither did I! It was a long nine month! We decided that it was just not worth the risk, no matter how small and so we abstained from el vino collapso. But if the research from Coombe Hospital is in any way correct - and you do have to wonder how statistically accurate it is, Irish mothers are reckless with their unborn-kids, something I do not believe. Like so much of medical research, we have to be careful before jumping to conclusions!
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Reader Comments (9)
Good morning David,
I hope this lovely morning finds you well.
Alcohol isn't something I've experience off, I've never consumed alcohol, and neither is my husband. Both of us are tea total, infact I do not eat food cooked in alcohol even though I know most of the alcohol content is destroyed in the cooking. Not even sherry triffle. LOL, so waiting the nine months wasn't the same burden for us back then.
But I do wonder at some young women while pregnant. I saw one during our earlier spell of good weather wearing a short top that barely covered her pregnancy smoking. Alcohol is a drug, abstinence from it may not guarantee a healthy baby, so anyone interested in their unborn child and its development ought to be very careful.
Morning Typhoo,
Yes, I know what you mean. I see more than a few pregnant women smoking away and that can't be good for the baby. And drinking alochol is exactly the same. But if this research is right, most Irish mums disagree with us.
>>research carried out at the Coombe Hospital in Dublin during the summer has shown that 80% of Irish women drink alcohol when they're pregnant<<
Of course, none of us can really verify the accuracy of the Coombe stats, but IMO they are probably not far wrong. There just isn't the same degree of health consciousness among Irish women (and I would say that the statistic should probably read: 80% of Irish babies are born to women who drank during the pregnancy, as women who have more babies also sadly tend to be the ones who are most negligent of their health (cue F O'D here!)).
Also, there just isn't the same amount of social pressure on young mothers to drink on the continent as there is in Ireland ("Aah, c'mon now, love, jus' geh' tha' inta yeh, Shorr it'll do yeh good!").
I was at a wedding reception in northern Italy recently. The range of wines was lavish and of top quality. After about 8 hours of carousing, there was not one single person drunk. - despite the endless meal courses, dancing, laughter and games and emotional speeches where I was probably the only one not crying.
They just don't need it to have a heady time. We do.
Their figures don't quite add up. They claim that 50% of British women drink whilst pregnant, and that there is no safe limit so all expectant mothers must abstain entirely, and yet only 1% of women have possibly alcohol-related problems with their children. Of those 1%, the researchers do not know how many are actually caused by alcohol consumption, so chances are it's not many.
Also I would question what they mean by 'drink.' Did they put the mother who might have the occasional glass of wine in the same field with heavy drinkers? If so then '80% of mothers drink' is hyperbole. My elderest sister had a glass of wine or two when pregnant and three children later no sign of ADD. She also ate soft cheese and seafood and OMIGAH, still no deformed babies.
There is a large difference in being a sensible adult and downing vodka, WKD or pint of beer regularly. Back in my Gamma's day women like her were ENCOURAGED to drink a bottle of stout a day when pregnant-for iron- and guess what, not a lot of ADD in those days either.
I don't think a society can have a problem with alcohol and not expect to see that reflected in the statistics for drinking while pregnant.
Solve one problem and you'll solve the other.
Ireland has a drink problem and we need to face up to it.
I remember the stout being given to pregnant women. I forgot about that. But some young pregnant women well they leave a lot to be desired.
my theory on the massive increase in autistic spectral disorders is that it is caused by frequent ultra sonic scans.
people have always drank. in my mother's day you were encouraged to take the odd bottle of stout. i reckon alcohol consumption has been a constant and therefore cannot account for the massive surge in these conditions, which just matches the increase in scanning.
just a thought.
80%????????????
Ireland must be the FASD capitol of the world. I think I'll vacation in the UK instead.