Wine and Pregnancy – Lies That Women Are Told

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Since 1990 every bottle of wine, beer and spirits sold in the United States has carried the warning that "according to the Surgeon General, women should not drink alcoholic beverages during pregnancy because of the risk of birth defects." If that has not been enough to add to the anxiety of women already concerned about their own health and the health of their fetuses, hundreds of newspaper articles and television talk shows have been devoted to convincing women that if they have even a single drink during their pregnancy that there is a chance that their baby will be born deformed, addicted to alcohol or retarded.

It seems, however, as if the American government, medical authorities and media have not been telling American women the entire truth. Although the official message is "don't drink at all during pregnancy", a great deal of recent research and a re-examination of the alcohol-pregnancy issue show that there is no conclusive evidence to demonstrate that moderate drinking during pregnancy can harm the fetus.

According to Doctors David Whitten and Martin Lipp of the University of California at San Francisco, "the campaign against drinking during pregnancy started in 1973 when several studies showed that heavy drinking during pregnancy can cause the condition known as the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. These studies demonstrated that the children of many alcoholic mothers were born with a cluster of severe birth defects. "What the government conveniently chose to ignore" say Whitten and Lipp, is that this syndrome is extremely rare, occurring only 3 times in 100,000 births, and then only when the mother drinks abusively throughout her pregnancy."

Lipp and Whitten, whose "To Your Health" was published in 1995, are among an increasing number of doctors and researchers who feel that pregnant women have no reason to fear drinking a glass of wine every day. As revealed by contributing editor Thomas Matthews in the August 31, 1994 issue of the "Wine Spectator" magazine which was devoted largely to this controversy, "there is even new research that shows that moderate drinking during pregnancy may actually help the development of the child after birth."

No one questions the fact that the consumption of large amounts of alcohol during pregnancy can harm the fetus. It has been well established, for example, that the children of women who drink more than 3 - 4 glasses of wine daily show significant decreases in birth weight and length than those of women who drink 1 - 2 glasses daily, and it is generally accepted that having five or more drinks per day is especially dangerous to the fetus. Here, however, agreement ends, and Genevieve Knupfer of the Alcohol Research Group in Berkeley, California says that part of the problem comes about because many of the studies that reported adverse effects on the fetus used imprecise methodology. In several studies, for example, researchers arbitrarily defined "heavy drinkers" as those women who consumed more than one glass of wine daily.

Feeling even more strongly, Dr. Michael Samuels of New York City's Doctor's Hospital says that the data has been "turned around for the purpose of frightening women", and indicates that birth defects of any kind occur in 3 - 5% of babies born in the United States and only 1 - 2% of those can be related to the ingestion of alcohol. Based on the data of Samuels and other medical researchers, it becomes clear that less than 0.1% of all birth defects are related to alcohol, and that more than 90% of the affected children are born to women with a history of alcohol abuse.

More than this, not even one study carried out since the mid-1980s has shown a direct correlation between moderate alcohol consumption and birth defects. One study, of 33,300 California women showed that even though 47% drank moderately during their pregnancies that none of their babies met the criteria for Fetal Alcoholic Syndrome. The authors of this study concluded "that alcohol at moderate levels is not a significant cause of malformation in our society and that the position that moderate consumption is dangerous, is completely unjustified."

Some studies go as far as to indicate that light to moderate drinking may actually improve the chance of successful pregnancies. A 1993 study published in the "American Journal of Epidemiology" by Ruth Little and Clarence Weinberg concluded, for example, that there were fewer stillbirths and fewer losses of fetus due to early labor among women who consumed a moderate level of alcohol. That some alcohol can be protective against preterm birth is also supported by Dr. Martha Direnfeld of Haifa University who points out that when used properly, alcohol is known to stop unwanted uterine contractions, and thus has "saved many pregnancies that might otherwise have spontaneously aborted." More than this, Dr. Robert Sokol of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse in Detroit has shown that it is light drinkers and not abstainers who have the best chance of having a baby of optimal birth weight and in their book "Alcohol and the Fetus" and Doctors Henry Rosset and Lynn Wiener have presented data that shows that children of moderate drinkers tend to score highest on developmental tests at the age of 18 months.

Despite these and many other findings the United States government, the American Medical Association, the British Medical Association and the vast majority of American and English doctors continue to recommend complete abstention from wine, beer and spirits during pregnancy. An examination of why this is true reveals that the issue is as emotional, ideological and political as it is medical. Well respected wine writer Janis Robinson, has declared that "in this our male dominated society, men feel entitled to lecture pregnant women on how they should best discharge their responsibilities to their unborn children." In a similar tone, Katha Pollit, writing in "The Nation" claimed that "all of these warnings allow the government to appear to be concerned about babies without having to spend any money, change any priorities or challenge any vested interests."

No one argues that there are no risks whatever in alcohol consumption during pregnancy, even at sensible levels, but as Thomas Matthews stated in the Wine Spectator, "it is important to ask: risky when compared to what?" In her recently published book "The Myths of Motherhood", Shary Turner indicates that alcohol is far from the only risk factor pregnant women are warned against. Other items on the list include caffeine, chocolate, raw oysters, unpasteurized cheese, tropical fruits, drugs that alleviate cold symptoms, nail polish, suntan lotion and hair dye, all of which in some amount may harm the fetus. Turner's conclusion is that "the only risk free pregnancy is one that is meant less to benefit the baby than to imprison the mother in anxiety and self-reproach."

In the absence of 100% certainty about the issue, many continue to insist that abstinence is the best advice to give pregnant women. Others, however, see this attitude as illogical and have concluded that the risks and benefits associated with light to moderate regular wine consumption compare quite favorably with most other activities of daily life. Doctors Whitten and Lipp write that "light, regular wine consumption, or one or two glasses of table wine per day can be part of the healthy lifestyle for most people, including pregnant women." Israeli gynecologist-researchers Howard Carp and Martha Direnfeld also feel that women who were drinking healthfully before pregnancy are not putting their fetuses in danger if they go on drinking in the same way during pregnancy. Dr. Carp states that "an occasional glass of wine or any other drink is fine, no problem at all, and those women who drink a glass of wine once or twice a week with their meals should not feel any guilt or fear at all." Like Dr. Carp, Dr. Direnfeld acknowledges the harm of drinking in excess but feels that "a reasonable amount of alcohol, say a glass of wine per day, will not harm the baby."

It is true that all of the evidence has not yet been gathered, but it is difficult not to see the logic of the conclusion that when it comes to drinking, evidence demands interpretations and decisions require judgment. Women are capable of choosing for themselves.

_________________________________________________

Daniel Rogov is the Wine and Food Critic of HaAretz newspaper in Israel. He is also the author of Rogov's Guide to Israeli Wines and a regular contributor to Tom Stevenson's Wine Report and Hugh Johnson's Pocket Wine Book. His wine and gastronomy internet site and forum can be found at http://www.stratsplace.com/rogov/home.html 

Comments

[Tammy]

This is ridiculous. Yes, it is true. No one knows how much alcohol is too much during pregnancy, but why encourage alcoholics to continue drinking. Damage can still be done. Why would anyone want to take that chance. I have custody of 2 FAS girls. I know first hand what can happen if a pregnanct woman drinks.

[Dianne]

So sad that this lie is told to women , there is no safe level of alcohol for pregnant women, studies continue to prove that alcohol crosses the placenta directly to the baby. Fetal alcohol is a permanent level of brain damage that the child must struggle with for the rest of their life.
our adopted daughter was only exposed to wine during pregnancy, she looks cute on the outside, but spend some time with her and you understand that something is missing. She is 6 yr old in body, cognitive 2-3 yr on a good brain day.
Is the social drink that important to affect a childs developing body?? My adopted daughter thinks not.!!
Dianne

[Jack]

Tammy, Who the heck is encouraging alcoholics to continue drinking in this article? Please reread the article and point out where that is stated!

And, sorry, but should our rules for drinking be governed by what alcoholics do? You have to be kidding me!

Frankly, we have too many rules about food and alcohol that are to "safeguard ALL of us" from that small percentage who abuse or otherwise do the very wrong thing. We shouldn't live with wacky rules because of a few. (And this goes for removing your shoes at the airport!)

[Mary Baker]

Thanks, Jack. I have to agree that the abuses of the few should not govern a moderate majority. When I was pregnant with my son my obstetrician recommended a glass of red wine 2-3 times a week--it was a good boost to my circulation problem, Reynaud's Syndrome. My son is now 22, handsome, and very very bright.

However, I should point out that I made that choice responsibly, after considering that I was very fit and continuing to exercise, and that I do not eat sugar or white flour. I also do not drink coffee, which contains 33 known toxins, while pregnant. Some pregnant women may have a much lower tolerance to alcohol if their bodies are already dealing with toxins from other foods and lack of proper exercise.

[RR]

I work in an upscale Manhattan restaurant and it is very common that pregnant women diners order a glass of red, just one. I think the current is definitely changing in this direction.

[Daniel Rogov]

Forgive me, but it would take a pretty god-awful fool to think that I was in any way encouraging the abuse of alcohol.Regardless of whether we are talking about pregnancy or any other period of life, the abuse of alcohol is to be avoided. It goes even without saying that men and women who truly love wine know that.

[Mary Baker]

Here's an interesting link I just came across: "Wine boosts pregnancy"

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/articles/6326714?source=Evening+Standard

The article states, "Mette Juhl, of the Danish Epidemiology Science Centre, who led the research, said: 'It shows a link between fertility and wine drinking. We don't know exactly why wine drinkers become pregnant quicker. It could be something in the wine, or, for example, that wine drinkers have healthier diets.'"

Discussion?

[Sharen Rund Bloechl]

My mother had occassional drinks [wine wasn't as popular in the 40s or 50s, consequently she drank distilled beverages or beer]throughout each of her six pregnancies. Her smallest baby came in at just over 8lbs - her last three were all over 10lbs. Other than my allergies, none of her children suffered from physical or physiological damage. Based on this, I don't believe that a glass of wine with dinner can hurt a pregnant woman or her child. On the other hand, I am not encouraging alcholics nor any "heavy" drinker to drink excessively during their pregnancy.

[el Greco]

Great reporting! Trying to scare pregnant ladies, geez, that is pathetic.

[Laney]

Wow, who knew people would be so upset about this information? I'm reading this article with much joy, as I am a winemaker, and trying to get pregnant. I wasn't sure how to juggle both, and more research is needed on my end, plus a talk with my doctor, but I do feel a tiny bit better.

[Mary Baker]

Good luck, Laney!
For those interested in reading more comments, there are also some responses posted on the Vinography wine blog at:
http://www.vinography.com/archives/000890.html

[Claire]

Tammy, you know what happens if a pregnant woman drinks IN EXCESS. It has long been accepted in Australia, that moderate drinking during pregnancy results in no harm at all.

[Mary Baker]

Here is a link to a very recent article in the Rocky Mountain News, "Timing plays crucial role in drinking's effect on pregnancy."

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/health/article/0,2777,DRMN_23956_4427685,00.html

"A 2003 survey of 1,131 pregnant women, ages 18 to 46, conducted by a team at the University of Michigan Health Center showed that about 15 percent of pregnant women drink alcohol.

The good news is, most pregnant women aren't drinking, and those who do drink aren't drinking much," said lead author Heather Flynn, a University of Michigan assistant research scientist in psychiatry.

Today, most moms-to-be who have done their homework know that alcohol is just one in a list of things that are bad for babies in utero."

[NOFAS]

The National Organizaton on Fetal Alcohol Responds to Wine and Pregnancy: Lies that Women Are Told

The article, “Wine and Pregnancy: Lies that Women Are Told” sends a dangerous message to women—that it is safe to drink moderate amounts of alcohol during pregnancy. The article presents very selective, inaccurate, and over-simplified information to reach this conclusion.

The medical and scientific literature overwhelmingly affirms that there are risks associated with drinking low to moderate amounts of alcohol during pregnancy. Based on these findings, NOFAS’ position is that there is no safe time, no safe amount, and no safe alcohol during pregnancy.

We would like to respond to four main fallacies presented in the article:

1. There is no evidence that moderate drinking during pregnancy can harm a fetus.
2. There is evidence that moderate drinking during pregnancy can be beneficial to a fetus.
3. Public health messages to abstain from alcohol use during pregnancy are an affront to women's right.
4. Alcohol is just one in long list of potentially harmful exposures for a fetus.

1. There is no evidence that moderate drinking during pregnancy can harm a fetus.

Drinking during pregnancy has always been an issue of risk, not certain harm. At present, it is impossible to determine who is at risk for producing an affected child. No universal threshold of safe alcohol use during pregnancy exists. Researchers and medical professionals are not able to determine a safe limit for alcohol consumption during pregnancy where they could state with certainty that there would be no effect on the fetus. (Health Council of the Netherlands)

To begin with we must clearly define what we mean by “moderate” and “risky” drinking. Both terms can mean very different things to different people. Over the last few years, the research community has consistently been revising downward the number of daily drinks they consider to constitute both moderate and risky drinking.

Your article seems to define light to moderate drinking as a daily glass of wine (i.e.7 drinks per week). The CDC now defines this amount (7 or more drinks per week or 3 or more drinks on multiple occasions, or both) as a “significant” level of prenatal alcohol exposure and advises seeking a diagnosis of FAS. (CDC, 2004) This threshold amount was established by their review of the body of evidence from published research studies. The definition of risky (or binge) drinking for non pregnant women has even gone from 5 drinks in a day to 4. (NIAAA, 2005)

Numerous studies have shown that even low levels of alcohol during pregnancy can produce physical, cognitive, and behavioral deficits in children. These findings have led the US Surgeon General, American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and many other professional medical societies to promote total abstinence from alcohol during pregnancy.

Because of genetic variations, some women and fetuses will metabolize alcohol faster than others. Everyone’s physiology is different and no two pregnancies are the same. For example, a mother who drank heavily through all her pregnancies may have a child with severe affects while her other children show no measurable effect. Conversely, some women who drank moderately have produced children who exhibit physical and cognitive impairments consistent with the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure.

Most of the harm caused by prenatal alcohol exposure is less visible and extreme than fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS.) Few, if any, children born to women who drink one glass of wine per day will be mentally retarded (state developmental disability offices typically define mental retardation as having an IQ score under 70.) These children are far more likely to have diminished intellectual abilities and behavioral problems. Even the majority of persons with FAS are not mentally retarded though they have varying degrees of psychological and behavioral problems and often find it difficult to hold down a job and live independently as adults.

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) is an umbrella term describing the range of effects that can occur in an individual whose mother drank alcohol during pregnancy. These effects may include physical, mental, behavioral, and/or learning disabilities with possible lifelong implications. The exact numbers of people affected by FASD are unknown however some estimate that 10 out of 1,000 babies born have FASD. (May, P. & Gossage, J., 2001) See footnote 1 for further statistical information.

NOFAS uses the Iceberg analogy to describe the proportion of persons affected by prenatal alcohol exposure. The visible iceberg represents persons with the FAS, a diagnosable condition. The vast majority of affected persons are represented by the portion of the iceberg that lies underwater. They are the persons with a range of mental and physical problems and limitations, who do not have a diagnosable condition.

Another problem with stating that “one drink is safe” is that people frequently underestimate the amount of alcohol they consume. Researchers define a “standard” glass of wine as 5 ounces; the social drink size is often larger, particularly for red wine. One study conducted with women in health clinics found that, for most beverages, the difference between self-selected drink size and a standard size drink was significant, with the mean self-selected drink sizes ranging from 49% above the standard size (for beer) to 307% above the standard size (for spirits). What this means is that many women who self define as moderate drinkers are, in fact, risky or binge drinkers. (Kaskutas LA & Graves K, 2001)

Numerous studies have found risks to the fetus from low to moderate drinking during pregnancy. Please see Appendix A for a sampling of these studies.

Further research needs to be done to examine the effects of low to moderate drinking during pregnancy as well as research on the factors that make some women more vulnerable to alcohol’s effects during pregnancy. Until more is understood, NOFAS believes that when it comes to the lifelong wellbeing of a child, we should err on the side of caution.

2. There is evidence that moderate drinking during pregnancy can be beneficial to a fetus.

The section of the article on supposed health benefits during pregnancy contains statements from researchers and medical professionals but fails to back up their words with any citations to peer-reviewed literature on the topic. Furthermore, the article states that Dr. Robert Sokol (a leading researcher on FAS) reported that light drinkers and not abstainers have the best chance of having a baby of optimal birth weight. When reached for comment, Dr. Sokol denied conducting research that yielded these results. He has appeared on television opposing a doctor who suggested that wine was beneficial during pregnancy and recommends abstinence from alcohol during pregnancy. This is just but one more example of the article’s misinformation.

There is some evidence that moderate drinkers—men who have two or less drinks per day and women who have one or less drinks per day—are less likely to die from one form of heart disease than are people who do not drink any alcohol or who drink more. These benefits are seen in men over 40 and women over 60 (DHHS/USDA, 2005). However, there is no evidence that drinking during pregnancy can be beneficial to a fetus.

Unfortunately, yours is not the first claim of the supposed benefits of drinking during pregnancy. Advice given in the1980s that alcohol helped with increased milk production and decreased risk for premature labor has also since been discredited by the medical community.

3. Public health messages to abstain from alcohol use during pregnancy are an affront to women's right.

Your argument is poorly disguised as a women’s rights issue. The article asserts that public health messages calling for abstinence from alcohol use during pregnancy are an affront to women's right. This notion is preposterous and smacks of conspiracy theory. This is not an issue of patriarchy and attempts to control women’s bodies. The nation spends a great deal on FASD ranging from clinical research studies to the societal costs incurred by persons with FASD.

Fortunately, the vast majority of government efforts to address drinking during pregnancy are not punitive in nature and do provide some, albeit inadequate, funding. For instance, relevant state statutes primarily provide for public awareness campaigns, priority access to substance abuse treatment, and case management services. The few pieces of punitive legislation introduced in state legislatures have rarely passed, and those that have passed have subsequently been overturned. Read more about state approaches to FASD here.

NOFAS does not support prosecuting women who drink alcohol during pregnancy. Past studies have shown that education and treatment is seven times more cost effective than arrest and prison for substance addiction. We believe that public policy should focus on improved treatment options for those with a substance abuse dependency.

Aside from pregnant women, no one is “benefiting” from spreading the message of alcohol abstinence during pregnancy. What would be the ulterior motives for spreading this message?

The argument that people should be free to make their own choices regarding behavior has been made to oppose virtually every public health initiative from mandatory seat belts, helmets, smoking in public places, etc.

With all due respect to the wine writer and the political and cultural commentator cited in the article who suggest that it is safe for women to drink during pregnancy, we choose to place our trust and confidence in the medical and scientific community when it comes to this very important issue of a child’s lifelong health and wellbeing.

4. Alcohol is just one in long list of potentially harmful exposures for a fetus.

True, there are many potential teratogens. However, it is both the degree of harm caused by prenatal alcohol exposure and the pervasiveness of drinking during pregnancy that sets it apart from other risks.

Drinking during pregnancy is also an issue of relative risk. In their report to Congress, the Institute of Medicine claimed, “Of all the substances of abuse (including cocaine, heroin, and marijuana), alcohol produces by far the most serious neurobehavioral effects in the fetus.” (Stratton et al, 1996.) If we cast the legality of the substance aside, it would be hard to imagine anyone supporting a pregnant woman’s decision to use moderate amounts of heroin, crack, or cocaine, despite the fact that there is no evidence demonstrating lasting effects on the child.

Alcohol is by far the mostly commonly used substance of abuse in this country. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration’s 2004 National Household Survey on Drug Use and Health showed that 50% of the population use alcohol.11.2 percent of pregnant women used alcohol and 4.5% of pregnant drank at risk levels for producing a child with FASD. (SAMHSA, 2005)

The majority of birth defects are of unknown origin. Alcohol consumption is, however, one of the few we can control. Unfortunately, more than 40,000 pregnant women drink alcohol each year either because they do not know they are pregnant, they have addictions and are unable to stop, or have misinformation about the risks. Your article serves to perpetuate such misinformation.

Appendix A
Prenatal Alcohol Exposure Predicts Continued Deficits in Offspring Size at 14 Years of Age
Day, N. L.; Leech, S. L.; Richardson, G. A.; Cornelius, M. D.; Robles, N.; Larkby, C. Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research. 2002 Oct;26(10):1584-1591.

This study examined the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on growth at 14 years of age. Significant effects were seen in children whose mothers drank less than one drink per day.

Prenatal Alcohol Exposure and Childhood Behavior at Age 6 to 7 Years: I. Dose-Response Effect
Sood et al. Pediatrics 2001 Aug;108(2):34

This study found that maternal alcohol consumption, even at low levels such of one drink per week, was associated with adverse child behaviors at ages 6 and 7. The relationship between prenatal alcohol exposure and adverse childhood behavior outcome persisted after controlling for other factors associated with adverse behavioral outcomes. The authors concluded that these data suggest that no alcohol during pregnancy remains the best medical advice.

The Relationship between Alcohol Consumption During Pregnancy and Infant Birthweight. An Epidemiologic Study.
Virji, SK. Journal of the Scandinavian Association of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists1991;70(4-5):303-8.

This study examined the effect of social drinking and birth weight. Findings indicate that there is an adverse effect on the birth weight with moderate alcohol use during pregnancy.

Drinking Moderately in Pregnancy: Effects on Child Development
Jacobson, JL and Jacobson, SW. Alcohol Research and Health 1999; 23(1):25-30.

This study found that children exposed to moderate levels of alcohol during pregnancy show growth deficits and intellectual and behavioral problems similar to, although less severe than, those found in children with fetal alcohol syndrome.

Dose-Dependent Effects of Prenatal Ethanol Exposure on Synaptic Plasticity and Learning in Mature Offspring
Savage et al. Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research. 2002 Nov;26(11):1752-1758.

This study examined the question of whether lower maternal blood ethanol concentrations (BECs) could produce functional deficits in offspring. The findings indicate that the threshold for eliciting subtle, yet significant learning deficits in offspring occurred when mothers drank the equivalent of 1 to 1.5 ounces of ethanol per day.

Alcohol and pregnancy: what is the level of risk?
Tat ha. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Toxicology 1990 Mar-Apr;10(2):105-14.

This article suggests that social type of alcohol consumption brings more discrete effects that often do not appear until much later. Low birth weight and mental retardation may be seen with the absorption of 15 ml of alcohol per day (1 beer or 1 glass of wine or 40 ml of liquor).
Back to article

1. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is characterized by brain damage, facial deformities, and growth deficits. FAS is most typically caused by heavy drinking, defined as 3.5 or more drinks per day (Sokol et al 2002) or binge drinking during pregnancy (4 or more drinks in a row). Approximately 0.5 – 2 per 1,000 babies born (2,000 - 12,000) are believed to have FAS. (CDC, 2002) These figures would be significantly higher if cases of sudden infant death syndrome, miscarriage, and stillbirth were included. Furthermore, the number of children affected adversely by in-utero exposure to alcohol is probably underestimated due to several barriers to surveillance and diagnosis.

There is no national surveillance plan that tracks FAS nor are there standardized reporting requirements. Birth defect cases are usually recorded at birth however FAS cases are often not diagnosed and/or misdiagnosed at birth due to the difficulty of making a diagnosis in newborns. Other barriers include the lack of medical biomarkers, lack of education and awareness among healthcare professionals, and the negative perceptions of FAS diagnosis. Also, some children might not be identified as having FAS until they reach school age, at which point CNS abnormalities and learning disabilities are recognized more easily. Diagnoses made at this age and documented in educational records are rarely considered in surveillance activities. (CDC, 2002)

Bibliography

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: Guidelines for Referral and Diagnosis. 2004.
http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/fas/documents/FAS_guidelines_accessible.pdf

Health Council of the Netherlands. Risks Of Alcohol Consumption Related to Conception, Pregnancy and Breastfeeding. The Hague: Health Council of the Netherlands, 2005.
http://www.gr.nl/adviezen.php?ID=1171

Kaskutas, LA., and Graves, K. Pre-pregnancy drinking: How drink size affects risk assessment. Addiction 96:1199–1209, 2001.
May, P. and Gossage, J. Estimating the Prevalence of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: A Summary. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. 2001.
http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh25-3/159-167.pdf

National Institute of Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse. Helping Patients Who Drink Too Much: A Clinician’s Guide. 2005.
http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/Practitioner/CliniciansGuide2005/guide.pdf

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2005). Results from the 2004 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: National Findings. 2005
http://www.drugabusestatistics.samhsa.gov/NSDUH.htm#NSDUHinfo

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 6th Edition, 2005.
http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2005/document/pdf/DGA2005.pdf

[Mary Baker]

Mr. Rogov is not the only one quoting Dr. Robert Sokol as supporting moderation. In this report:
http://www.unr.edu/educ/captta/on-course/FAS/FAS.htm
the authors state:
"Despite the above information, Barbara Morse, a widely read FAS researcher, is quoted in the Wine Spectator magazine as saying:

"The literature gets bogged down, but it is clear that there has never been shown to be any risk at levels of consumption around one drink per day. For the 90 percent of women who drink moderately and socially, we want them to know that whether or not they give it up, they’re not putting their babies at risk” (Matthews, 1994, p. 69).

However, in yet another area there is disagreement among the researchers. Most agree that there is no safe time to drink alcohol when pregnant -- nor is there a safe amount of alcohol to drink. However, Inaba, et al., (1997) quoting Dr. Robert Sokol, reported a study that concludes that seven standard drinks per week by a pregnant woman is a threshold level, below which most neurobehavioral effects have not been seen."

***************

Regarding your comment, "it would be hard to imagine anyone supporting a pregnant woman’s decision to use moderate amounts of heroin, crack, or cocaine, despite the fact that there is no evidence demonstrating lasting effects on the child."

You have forgotten to mention the extreme and deleterious effects of malnutrition among drug users.

**************

"NOFAS does not support prosecuting women who drink alcohol during pregnancy. Past studies have shown that education and treatment is seven times more cost effective than arrest and prison for substance addiction."

Gee, thanks.

Drinking wine does not mean that one suffers from substance addiction, and this statement is beyond offensive. It is ridiculous and heavy-handed to even suggest that any woman who chooses to have a few glasses of wine during pregnancy should be prosecuted.

[NOFAS]

You have taken that statement of context. NOFAS is not saying that women who have a few classes of wine suffer from a substance abuse problem. That statment was in the section related to legal/societal issues related to FAS.

[Kari]

If there is no alcohol addiction to consider, the matter of drinking during pregnancy comes down to a choice. The evidence is clear that alcohol is a teratogen...a substance that is harmful to the baby's developing cells, especially the brain cells. The evidence shows that baby's blood alcohol content will equal or even surpass mom's when she is drinking...nobody in their right mind would give a newborn baby a glass of wine a day! Why, in the absence of addiction, would anyone even consider consuming a teratogen like alcohol during pregnancy or advocate its use?!

The central nervous system and brain are forming each and every day of the pregnancy so there is no safe time to drink alcohol which has been shown to pass through the placental barrier and enter baby's brain. Factors such as baby's resiliency, mom's health, mom's ability to metabolize alcohol, what is forming at the time of consumption, etc.. all indicate that we cannot say across the board what amount is safe. Why take the chance?! Why choose to drink alcohol when it also means that your baby, who has no choice in the matter, also drinks?

I am the adoptive parent to 2 children with FASD (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders) and my 4 adopted siblings, all adults, are affected as well. My affected sister has an average IQ and she came very close to earning a Masters degree in social work...but she could never pass the math requirement for her degree and she has considerable problems with impulse control, understanding of consequences, abstract thought, tolerating change in her routine, and now she has fallen into substance abuse. Alcohol did this to her.

Real and credible research is being done by people like Ed Riley and Ann Streissguth- read it. Spend a day with kids like mine...talk to their teachers about how hard it is to teach them. Look at the level of "ADHD" in our society and then decide if that daily glass of wine is worth it.

[Mary Baker]

Kari, very sorry to hear about the FAS in your family. You are an amazing person to take on this burden.

Yes, alcohol is clearly a teratogen, and in the interest of making it clear just what a teratogen is, allow me to include the following links and lists of teratogenic substances.

http://www.moondragon.org/health/disorders/teratogens.html

http://www.blinn.edu/socialscience/LDThomas/Feldman/Handouts/0204hand.htm

Teratogens which can affect fetal development include:

Acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin)
Antibiotics
Benadryl
Betel nut
Bracken fern, dried
Caffeine and caffeic acid
Camphorated oil
Candida albicans (yeast infection)
Cassava (a starch used to make tapioca)
Cholesterol
Corn oil
Cortisone
Cottonseed oil (unhydrogenated)
FD&C red No. 2
FD&C yellow NO. 5
Ferrous sulfate (iron)
Folic acid
Insulin
Lactose
Lithium
Lysine (an amino acid found in gelatin)
Magnesium sulfate (a muscle relaxer used to used to treat pre-eclampsia, eclampsia and preterm labor)
Mineral oil
Monosodium glutamate (MSG flavor enhancer)
Morphine
Neem oil
Nicotine
Nutmeg oil, east indian
Oxygen
Ozone
Palm oil
Papain (a papaya enzyme used in face creams, cleansers and tooth pastes. Taken orally for bloating and indigestion.)
Potato, green parts
Quercetin (a bioflavonoid found in grapes, wine, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, onions and peppers; used as an anti-inflammatory)
Selenium (a trace mineral found in grains, nuts, and seafood; amounts depend on the regions’ soils—Nebraska and North Dakota have the highest selenium contents in North America. Three ounces of tuna provides 95% of the recommended daily value for selenium, and 1 ounce of Brazil nuts provides 780% of the recommended daily value.)
Sodium fluoride (used in water fluoridation and fluoridated dental products—overuse is associated in medical journals with bone fragility and intellectual impairment)
Sodium lauryl sulfate (a cheap detergent used to produce foam and bubbles in shampoos and toothpaste—a recognized irritant; contact with skin, scalp and gums should be limited)
Streptomycin
Sucrose
Tinactin
Tobacco
Vitamin A
Vitamin B7
Vitamin B12 complex
Vitamin D2
Vitamin K
Xanax
Zinc oxide (sunblock)

In addition, the second site lists as possible teratogens hair dyes, cat feces, chlamydia, herpes, anemia, and stress.

[Lesa]

I find it fascinating that this debate is even occuring... Pregnancy is only a nine month period - we're not talking about behavior change over a lifetime. But we are talking about the creation of a person and their lifetime. From my (female)perspective, it doesn't feel (male dominating/governmental) controlling to abstain from anything that might pose the possibility of damage to a fetus. That includes oysters, wine, tobacco, (yes, all the good things in life). Why risk being that 10% or that 1/1000? It's only wine (and oysters, and tobacco), and it's only 9 months. It's not like we're having to go 9 months without a leg or anything...

[Daniel Rogov]

I could not help but notice that one of the items listed as potentially dangerous to the fetus is oxygen. Most assuredly no one would advise anyone, pregnant or not, to make a diet of oxygen. I am not sure however how we deal with the approximately 21 of oxygen that is in the air we have no choice but to breathe.

I'm quite certain that some governmental agency or another has done a study concerning whether moderate alcohol consumption or moderate oxygen consumption is more potentially harmful to the fetus.

Simply stated, and putting aside the intentional sarcasm of the earlier paragraphs of this post and to repeat myself: "Women are capable of choosing for themselves"

Best
Rogov

[Beth]

As an adoptive mom to 6 children with FASD (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders), I would like to invite anyone who does not believe in the potention damage of alcohol during pregnancy to spend a few days with my children. We have one son whose birthmother was a binge drinker and he is only mildly affected, and another son whose birthmother only drank "socially" and he is severly affected. For that matter, we have twins who are affected differently. One twin has full blown FAS (facial features included) and one twin that has ARND (Alcohol Related Neurological Defects). The point is, it's a gamble, and it's not worth taking.

Here is what ARND (also known as Fetal Alcohol Effects) looks like on a daily basis for our family:
- No impulse control. An example: Our one son will run out in the middle of traffic if he sees something on the other side of the street that he likes. He doesn't realized that he can't just act on impulse.

- No understanding of cause and effect. An example: If you or I were to touch a hot stove, we would quickly learn that it will burn us and we won't do it again. He would touch a hot stove, burn himself, and then the next day he'd do it again.

- Literal thinking. It may sound funny, but my kids are "Amelia Bedilia" thinkers. If you want them to hurry up and tell them to "pick up their feet", they will sit on the floor and try picking up their feet. Yeah, it sounds funny the first time they do it. But that's also a "funny" example. Just think of what 100% literal thinking can lead to...

- Rages. Our three year old son can rage for almost 2 hours straight. These rages usually start over something small and trivial, and he only stops when he gets too tired to rage anymore. And we've tried everything from spanking, redirection, holding him, talking to him, and even giving in to him. But NOTHING works, and the look on his face when he rages is absolutely pathetic. It's like he can't figure out how to tell you what is really bothering him. He wants to be held, but he won't let you hold him. It's the saddest thing for me to see and it breaks my heart.

- Developmental Delays. For our kids, they may be technically one age, but their developmental age is about half that. We have a 5 year old who functions at a 2 year old level, a 4 year old who functions at a 2 year old level, and a 3 year old who functions at about a 15-18 month old level. They are all in therapy, and we work with them everyday, but the problem is that they just can't learn any faster.

ADD/ADHD - What can I say? Three out of our 6 kids have ADD, and our twins are too young to diagnose with ADD yet, so who knows what will happen to them?

I could go on and on about some of the problems with our kids, but that just gives you a taste. The fact is that I love my children, and want the best for them. But seeing articles like this just scares me for any woman who may see it as an "OK" to go ahead and drink while pregnant. And this is not just for the baby's best interest either. Believe me, it is an EXTREMELY difficult thing to do to raise a child with FAS (or FAE/ARND, FASD, whatever you want to call it).

So if you can't stay away from alcohol during pregnancy for your baby, do it for yourself. If you think the 9 months that you are pregnant are difficult on your mind and body, just think of what can happen to you if you have to deal with a child affected with FASDs.

[Mike Parker]

I have to agree...Why are we even having this debate over a nine-month abstinence from Alcohol, cigarettes and a few other things?

I have a nine-year-old granddaughter. My Nikki that was born with FAS. She functions at the level of a four or five year old on a very good day. She can write her first name and knows some letters of the alphabet and a few words and numbers. Reading anything is totally out of the question. Her behavioral problems although mild, are certainly there. And the saddest, most heartbreaking thing of all is that she knows…. absolutely knows that she is different, that she is broken, that there is something terribly wrong. All of this because my daughter could not give up Alcohol for nine months?

Bringing a child into the world is such an awesome responsibility. I cannot imagine why anyone would want to take the chance of the child being anything less than perfect because of a glass of wine. I just don’t get it.

[H.M.]

Let's compare drinking any kind of alcohol during pregnancy to driving with your kids in a vehicle. Not every trip in the car will result in a traffic accident, as not every drink will seriously harm an unborn baby. However, as parents, it is our job to buckle our children up in carseats to protect their lives. We just don't know when that "accident" will occur. It is a woman's responsibility to protect her child from injury while in utero, as she would protect that child in a vehicle.

My adopted daughter lives with her own "car accident" everyday; and she will for the rest of her life. She has serious health problems, behavior issues, and developmental delays.

From a mother who has a child with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, here is a short list of things I've learned in our three years together. All this, because a woman took the risk of "driving without a carseat" and consumed wine/winecoolers while pregnant.

You need to be able to:
1. Take your child to the doctor/specialist/therapist at the drop of a hat. Learn new medical terms, submit your child to medical procedures, administer medication to a combative child, and hope that your medical insurance covers the costs.
2. Deal with a child who was born ANGRY and who can hold a grudge for days at a time.
3. Listen to uncontrolable crying/screaming for hours at end. Don't expect to hear excessive laughter and see smiles. The tears and frowns are much easier to come by.
4. Keep control of yourself when you are at the very end of your rope.
5. Explain to your child, that their brain injury could have been prevented.

No one should ever need to say "I'm sorry you have fetal alcohol syndrome, but the wine was delicious and went well with my meal".

Is it worth it?

[Daniel Rogov]

Let's make several things perfectly clear:

(a) No-one here has been advocating alcoholic consuption for women during pregnancy, and certainly no-one is advocating more than moderate consumption of alcohol during any period of the lives of either men or women, pregnant or otherwise. What some, including myself, are advocating is that women look beyond the NOFAS kinds of data into the realities of a situation that impacts on them.

(b) No intelligent person will say that fetal alcohol syndrome is a danger to be ignored.Those, again including myself, who are suggesting that there is evidence to indicate that truly moderate drinking will not lead to fetal alcohol syndrome have no agenda other than asking that women decide for themselves where the risks are and how to abide by them. That suggestion is not a debate. It is merely a suggestion.

(c) It should be clear to all by now that some of those who have posted on this thread so strongly advocating tee-totalism during pregnancy and in some cases even during any period during which a woman is "in danger" of becoming pregnant seem to have a rather clear agenda, and that agenda seems to be full-steam ahead, damn the torpedoes and ignore the realities.

(d) Citing data entirely from organizations solely concerned with FAS is obviously adding a bias to one's post - those organizations have a clearly stated agenda.

(e) With no apologies, and no debate, I return to my original conclusion: "Women are capable of choosing for themselves".

(f) With the above in mind,and if we are so protective of women and unborn fetuses, may I suggest that from the moment of conception women be put into custodial care there to be kept under lock and key and fully supervised to assure that "our" fetuses are not threatened by automobiles, cholesterol, tobacco, lactose, alcohol, salt, monosodium glutimate, artichokes or whatever other threats (including from one of the lists above, oxygen)may threaten. And of course to assure that they avoid most vitamins and (heaven forbid)betel nuts.

I do apologize for my sarcasm, but that is about the only way I know how to react to hysteria and anti-intellectuality.

[Mike Parker]

Mr. Rogov, your agenda is clear and has been since your first post. Wine is "what you do". Please don't insult our intelligence by saying you are in anyway objective about this. I'm not objective either, but then I have a granddaughter that was born with FAS because her mother could not give up wine for 9 months. You don't, do you? No....

Pregnant women are not just choosing for themselves Sir, they are choosing for their unborn child who has no voice. In the face of so much evidence, it is appalling that a woman would take even one drink during pregnancy.

As I said before, I don't get it. I cannot imagine anything more selfish.

[Daniel Rogov]

Mike, Hello...

You mis-read me. As a critic my role has nothing whatever to do with my own opinions but in evaluations (regardless of whether of a particular wine or an isse relating to wine) in presenting my readers with the various options open to them.

I will not be discourteous enough to inquire into how much your daughter drank during her pregnancy, but again I will point out the now well-established reality that there is no demonstrable connection whatever between moderate and intelligent wine consumption and FAS!

[Kari]

The following research, and more, can be found on this website- http://www.chem-tox.com/pregnancy/alcohol.htm#braindamage

Language Skills Damage Easily from Light Social Drinking

Neurobehavioral Toxicology & Teratology, 6:13-17, 1984

Lower verbal comprehension and spoken language scores were found among 84 children at 13 months of age whose mothers drank an average of .24 ounces of absolute alcohol per day (about one-half drink per day). The Bayley Scales of Infant Development was used to test language and comprehension. Test criteria included the following:

Says da-da or equivalent, Jabbers expressively, Imitates words, Says 2 words, Names 1 object, Vocalizes 4 different syllables, Listens selectively to familiar words, Responds to verbal request, Inhibits on command, Shows shoes or other clothing or own toy.

Testing was given by a trained professional who was not aware of the mothers’ drinking habits. The researchers adjusted for known confounding variables such as social class, educational level, use of other drugs, etc. Results were considered significant at the p<0.05 level.

Drs. Joanne L. Gusella and P.A. Fried
Department of Psychology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada
Neurobehavioral Toxicology and Teratology, Vol. 6:13-17, 1984

[Daniel Rogov]

Kari,

With apologies, the site to which you point us is a fine example of those kinds of anti-intellectual and even anti-scientific modes of thinking that are more often associated with hysteria than any search for scientific realities.

One of the first things any graduate student in the human sciences learns is NOT to cite only material that supports their point of view. The site in question has the obvious agenda of discouraging alcohol consumption (at any level).....perhaps a left-over from the Puritan days of America?

In addition to not posting research studies or other information that might disagree with their own point of view (and any graduate student would fail his/her research methodology for doing that), most of these studies relate to excess drinking (which no-one adocates) or to some too vaguely defined level they call "moderate drinking". These are known as "scare tactics".

I am reminded of the old wive's tale that smoking marijuana leads to heroin addiction, the evidence offered being that 80+% of all heroin addicts started by smoking marijuana. What people forget is that correlation does not in any way prove causation. If it did we could say that drinking milk leads to heroin addiction. After all, close to 100% of heroin addicts started off by drinking milk. Does that therefore mean that milk causes heroin addiction?

I suspect that we are making people weary with our arguments. I also suspect that by now those who have read the various points put forward have made their decisions as to what they will and will not do with regard to this issue.

[Mary Baker]

H.M.; if in fact your adopted daughter has been medically evaluated as FAS, I am truly sorry. However, for the sake of discussion I will point out that my stepson has all of those exact symptoms, and more, and his mother never drank. She is bipolar.

Bipolarity is a complicated condition, often undiagnosed, and it also often involves addictive and destructive behaviors--primarily bouts of addiction to sex, alcohol, or drug use. It's very possible that many children are labeled as 'FAS' because the mothers stated they drank during pregnancy but they may be actually--or also--genetically bipolar.

There are also children (some of whom have bipolar genes) who are hypersenstive to all aspects of their environment. I refer all parents of such sensitive children to a wonderful book on parenting which helped us immensely: "Raising Your Spirited Child," by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka.

It has been clinically proven that children of a bipolar parent predictably display anger, frustration, and lack of concentration as tots, but outgrow those traits in early puberty. A safe, supportive home environment can prevent bipolar outbreaks in the child's adulthood. There are plenty of books and sites devoted to research, treatment and support.

FAS is a real, and very destructive, syndrome. However, an argument that states simply, "my child (x6) is FAS" does not really convince me that a glass of wine or two per week causes FAS.

[Dustin Ulm]

my question is, have there been any studies done that show alcohol related birth defects with being hereditary in any way?

[Daniel Rogov]

Dustin, Hello...

It is my understanding that agreement is fairly universal that the development FAS is dependent entirely on fetal exposure to alcohol and in this is considered a non-genetic/non-inherited syndrome. There has been of course a good deal of research on varying genetic ability of adults to metabolize alcohol but that seems unrelated to FAS.

[Rachel Gray]

I am 5 months pregnant and would like to enjoy a HALF glass of wine once a week, but the stigma that goes with it keeps me from doing so.
I have to say that the idea that A GLASS of wine once a week is the equivilant of BINGE DRINKING is obsurd.
I have a hard time thinking that millions of pregnant European women have abstained from wine drinking over the past thousand years.
I think that if you are addicted to anything while you are pregnant, your baby will be addicted to the same thing. I am not addicted to Alcohol by any means, but Previous Posters are saying that if I even have ONE glass of wine in the next five months that my child will be born with FAS?
I don't think so.
I DON"T think the article is in any way PROMOTING the use of alcohol.
Think about it- Pregnant women are SUPPOSED to stay away from practically EVERYTHING. When I'm sure in the past- (and maybe still) pregnant Japanese women ate sushi, pregnant Italian women drank wine, pregnant French women ate unpasturized cheeses (oh! the horror)pregnant American women ate- eek!!- HOT DOGS.
I do watch what I eat, but being obsessive about EVERYTHING is not good for the baby either.
Rachel

[Melissa]

"No one should ever need to say "I'm sorry you have fetal alcohol syndrome, but the wine was delicious and went well with my meal".

Is it worth it?"

It's comments like these that ultimately defeat your purpose. It's an absolutely ridiculous statement.

Thanks to Mr. Rogov for the article.

[Jenny]

Hi
I understand that drinking alcohol especially during pregnancyis caused by other severe psychological factors. I, myself have been drinking moderate or maybe more than that alcohol beverages during pregnancy. My daughter is now 13 months old and I live in a continuous state os anxiety, fear and I cannot live the total happiness my child is giving to me. I regret for even drinking one or more glass of wine per time per occasion, because now I see that a child's development is something so beautiful and perfect that nobody should harm it even at minimum. Of course I reffer to women of the western world who have the economic previliges to do that and not to poor women who consider alcohol as a shelter for their pain .

[Jan Manni]

I guess since I was born in the 50s and the scare tactics of occasional drinkers didn't come out until the 70s in regards to drinking alcohol, I must report that the martinis and olives didn't effect me. However my father drank alot - does that count? Regardless, I believe that over drinking is harmful for anyone. However, 1/2 glass of wine while pregnant is not going to hurt yet helps the mother at least enjoy rather than giving up something that is not necessary to give up. What better way to put up her swollen feet and sip on a little wine and relax before all the chaos of a newborn.

[Lori]

I think we need to make a distinction between what is okay early in pregnancy and what is permissible in the later stages. I believe that extra vigilance is called for in the first trimester when the baby's organs are still forming. By the third trimester, when everything has formed, it is perfectly okay to be less stringent. Every woman I know, myself included, has had an occasional glass of wine in the second and third trimesters...and our babies were fine! I do think that this debate is partially informed by cultural norms. The U.S. is a Puritanical culture, and therefore, reproachful any form of "vice" -- particularly drinking, and particularly when that is juxtaposed to"pure" or blessed concepts such as motherhood and babies. In parts of the world not influenced by Puritanism, like most parts of Europe, women routinely drink wine in pregnancy, without any fanfare or controversy. And there is no evidence, as I understand, that babies born in these parts suffer from any greater rate of birth defects than U.S. born children.

[MOLLY]

Loved the article.. I am a wine lover..and of German descent.. I found out I was pregnant at only two weeks.. I obstained from drinking anything untill I hit the second trimester..

By talking to mothers who drank an occassional or even nightly glass of wine and just knowing that my baby would be fully developed at 2.5 months, I waited till that second trimester mark and have had a glass of wine here and there.

Probably 4 glasses total spanned over an entire month... I drank this one serving of wine with plenty of water as well...

I am very healthy, eat little meat, no fish (due to mercury), plenty of protein and low sugar and low caffeine.. I exercise and feel great.. I am 28 and excited to have my baby..

[Rob Kopman]

Just a comment regarding: "Women are capable of choosing for themselves".

Women are capable of choosing for themselves when, and only when, they are given all the correct facts. It appears to me that the folks that study FAS have a whole lot more corroborated facts than the "wine guy" who wrote the article. This whole thing reminds me of the tobacco companies' cover up. I bet they were saying that the public is capable of choosing for themselves while plastering the news with false information regarding the dangers of smoking while pregnant.

[cico]

I just wanted to add my view here--not that it is necessary since most views seem to be well represented. My mother had me as a teenager, and during her pregnancy she subsisted on candy bars and other junk food, and drank alcohol including several "get drunk" sessions with her breast-feeding sister. She also worked at a dry cleaner and gained almost 80 pounds. Despite all of this, I have easily earned three degrees and have a high IQ. I also excel at verbal and inter-relational skills. Not to mention that I display none of the compulsive or emotional problems that my mother has. My point? You can do everything "right" and have a genetically malformed (emotionally, neurologically, or physically) baby, and you can do everything "wrong" and have an intelligent, well-balanced child.

I agree with the poster that suggested that maybe the children diagnosed with FAS in reality have other emotional or personality disorders, it just so happened that the mothers admitted to drinking. Until a comprehensive study is done that specifically examines the effects of varying amounts of alcohol on fetuses (including none), we will never know. And, fortunately, no one will ever do those studies on pregnant women.

Finally, I do not see how NOFAS' assertions contradict the author's. NOFAS broadly sweeps all drinking under the category of "excessive," when it does not appear from any of the studies that "light" drinking harms fetuses. Perhaps what harms fetuses more are hysterical mothers.

[Mary Baker]

Thank you for your comments, cico. It is a point often overlooked that maternal drinking may not always be the real cause of child behavior and intelligence problems. Studies show a correlation, but as discussed above, pregnant women who binge drink or drink every night may often be doing so because they have other emotional problems--problems which are probably outside the researchers' ability to diagnose.

Naturally, an excess of alcohol is never a good thing.

[Jana]

I've enjoyed reading all of these comments, especially since I am newly pregnant and can't understand the hysteria over an occasional glass of wine. My thesis is that as women progress toward social equality, we are being forced backward with more restrictions on our bodies. We are told, as in centuries past, that we lack good decision-making capabilities, and evermore recently, that our bodies are not really our own; rather, we are just vessels for new life.

As much as I have respect for the medical community, there are undoubtedly certain reasons why some studies are performed and their results obtained, an attempt to limit malpractice suits being one of them. (In terms of the kinds of studies performed, I alwasy wonder why more money isn't being spent on figuring out ways for older women to get pregnant. There was certainly enough money being spent on the creation of Viagra.) Not to mention that the latest studies quickly become the oldest, and what we thought was beneficial 10-15 years ago is often reinterpreted for our changing times.

Further, I think that more and more in our society, we have the expectation that we can make our children perfect. All people have weaknesses and strengths. I am horrible with multiple-choice and true-false tests, but I really don't think it's because my mother smoked while she was pregnant with me. We need to stop thinking that every "defect" in our children is the effect of something the mother ingested in her first months of pregnancy, or that it's something we could have prevented at all. Some things are just biological. If we don't stop thinking this way, we're going to start to see safehouses pop up in our neighborhoods for pregnant women--places where there is no dust, no paint fumes, no feta cheese, no aspartame, no microwaves--just a mandatory light aerobic workout in the morning, a hearty but healthy lunch, and special protection from any kind of intellectual rigor.

[Sha]

I intentionally looked up the topic of wine and pregnancy to find out other views than what I have heard. Of course being an American the only info you recieve is mainly bad and of course "No No NO." Internationally I have heard on many instances that a glass of wine is okay from time to time. So as with everything in life do what you feel. As with all topics and situations in life, we all have our own ideas and viewpoints. So since no one really knows, there is not really a definite direction to go to or even veer from. What is a fact is that it doesn't take much to comprehend how obsessive drinking isn't good for anyone.

[D.]

I have to agree more with Dr ROGOV. It is a shame that as with anything else we choose to let other people make our decisions for us. When did we become so stupid about ourselves. We are all adults and we should all be intelligent enough to make our own well formed decisions. One day coffee is good for you, the next it is not,,,,blah blah blah...Come on people, most research is based on some grant funded study or apriori beliefs. I almost feel the more information and technology people have at their fingertips, the less they think for themselves, and the more they let main stream media and other similar sources think for them.

When we pay attention to our body; good nutrition, proper sleep, etc..,we should know our own limitations and what is right and wrong for our bodies.

It sould just be left at, make your own decision and for goodness sakes, let your neighbor make the ill-informed followings based on the flock of population that refuses to take responsibility for their own decision making.

If you don't agree with someone, please don't spew out more stats and quotes based on someone else's bias-based study and call it fact. The stats could be soooo marginal, yet the study would not be funded if they stated otherwise.

Thank You Dr Rogov for giving us another point of view to let us make our own decision. It is refeshing..

[Leah]

I want to know, from the parents whose children are affected by FAS, how much alcohol was the biological mother consuming?
It is interesting that that is never stated by those commenting about this topic.
Was the mother drinking a small glass (3 ounces) of wine with food once or twice a week? Or was she what we commonly recognized as an alcoholic, and/or someone with problem-drinking behaviors, consuming the equivalent of "binge-drinking" (3 or more drinks per day) many times over the course of her pregnancy, and probably compounded by malnutrion? If anyone can clarify this then I think this will help put a stop to all this hysteria.

[KathyOsburn]

Warnings about alcohol potentially harming unborn babies is not patriarchal rhetoric bent on controlling women. It is information to aide in making informed decisions.

During my pregnancies I gave up alcohol, caffeine, hair color, and all medication. Why on earth would I take a chance on harming my children if that chance could be 100% avoided by a short term change in life style? Are we so bent on our own personal gratification that we cannot deny ourselves the pleasure of wine for 9 months?

The bottom line is that no one knows how much is too much in any particular person's body. Put your child's health first and abstain for 9 months.

[Jana]

Kathy,
Bravo on being the sacrificial mother. It's vital, as you know, to start as early as possible. In fact, it would be best if we advised all boys, beginning in the tender toddler years, to stay away from microwaves so that they don't destroy any precious sperm. They can watch the football game while their wives and mothers heat up their nachos and popcorn.

[Kathy]

Bravo to you for continuing the victim mentality that any woman who does something for someone else is some sort of downtrodden victim of a controlling male society. I did what I did because I made the choice to develop another human being inside my body. My choice, my responsibility.

So, I'm a martyr if I provide snacks for my family during a sporting program? Get real, I'm make the snacks because I'm better at it and my husband cleans up the kitchen after we ALL watch the game because he's more thorough.

The women as victims mentality does nothing but hold women back. By the way, Jana, I'm a professor who teaches gender diversity in business courses. Abstaining from alcohol while I was pregnant was not caused by the guilt foisted upon me from a male dominated society but an informed, personal decision.

[Jana]

Kathy,

If it weren’t for our recognizing women have been victims throughout history, you wouldn’t be teaching your gender diversity business course. There’d be no women in business courses.

I’m not a victim because I think for myself, rather than anxiously reading the myriad blogs, books, and websites instructing me on how to be pregnant. As a teacher, I do nothing but empower young women. But empowering women does not mean we should assume there are no patriarchal societal forces at work, subtly disempowering us. This doesn’t mean my husband or your husband is a misogynist pig—but it does mean they benefit or enjoy (consciously or not) some of the advantages that a patriarchal society offers. And yes, Kathy, we do live under a patriarchy—otherwise, we’d see women make up more than 15% of our elected spots in government.

Regarding wine, though.

I think it’s foolish not to consider the other elements involved in why we’re handed down rules on how to be pregnant. The medical community is constantly being refreshed and updated, and if you were to look at the latest data and technology of each decade in the past two hundred years, you’d see how ludicrous some of the medical beliefs were (i.e., the cure for postpartum depression was to lie in bed alone in a dark room all day). Malpractice is also, unfortunately, a huge issue, and OBGYNs, as goodhearted as most of them are, are trying to avoid lawsuits by stressing complete abstinence of certain things instead of moderation.

My point is this—people have survived for centuries with all sorts of sordid ideas about sex, pregnancy, and childbirth. Do you really think that a glass of wine a month is going to be THE factor to make a baby retarded? Autistic? Because I don’t. I think pregnant women should be given enough respect by the medical community and their peers to be able to trust themselves and make their own choices, given the information that’s available to them. My doctor would be hard-pressed to find a documented study that says one glass of wine a month, or even two, has specific and recognizable ramifications for the health of my baby. According to you, I should avoid Tylenol if I have a headache, and Colace if I’m constipated. The sacrificial mother ethic is getting old, and as we can see, it now starts in the first month of pregnancy. The problem is, I still see my own happiness and comfort as an important part of my life. And that doesn’t mean I’m even drinking any wine; I just resent the paranoia that’s been inflicted on pregnant women regarding alcohol, feta cheese, cold cuts, the doneness of meat…. Need I go on?

(What brand of toothpaste should I use? How far should I walk each day, and for how long? Can I sleep on my stomach, or on my side? If I have a rash, can I use cream, or should I just continue to itch for nine months? Are three pieces of pizza too many? Should I avoid reading the news, or books that make me angry or sad, because my stress could affect the mental health of the baby?)

Since we have the power to bring forth life, let’s assume we’re also endowed with the brains, the instinct, and the competence to make it through pregnancy without a list of rules, too.

[Kathy]

Gosh, I can't thank you enough for letting me know that we live in a patriarchal society, I never would've known without your expert guidance. Of course if you had bothered to read what I said rather than spending such a large amount of time enjoying the sound of your own voice you might have realized that what I actually said was that this ONE particular issue (warning women that drinking alcohol during pregnancy exposes the baby to health risks) is not an attempt by a male dominated society to control women. There is no conspiracy to deny you your "own happiness and comfort".

No one "handed down rules on how to be pregnant". Once again that is the victim mentality. You have been given information to make an informed decision. No laws have been passed to stop you from drinking alcohol. The medical community has given you their best information. Is it perfect? No, but all they can do is give you the best information they currently possess. What you choose to do with that information is your personal responsibility.

Your need to brand women who make sacrifices for their children as being paranoid or martyrs is judgemental, narrow minded and self serving. Worrying about every little thing during pregnancy including the list you provided of toothpaste and rash creams is not paranoid, it's normal. Your hormones are raging and your whole life is changing and it is perfectly normal and acceptable to question the safety of the chemicals to which you expose your child. Labeling women who strive to be the best parent possible as possessing the "sacrificial mother ethic" is judgemental and immature. They are doing the best with the information they possess and don't need judgemental people critcizing them for their efforts. Reading back through the posts on this topic I didn't see anyone but you calling names and assigning labels. Nice to know that you can tell all other women how they should behave during their pregnancies. Maybe you should write a book on what behaviors they should assume to avoid being labeled "sacrificial martyrs" or victims of a patriarchal society.

Everyone else posting spoke about their own experiences--I did this and my child is OK or I avoided that due to the possible risks--or they referenced research....you seem to be bent on telling everyone that if they make conservative choices to err on the side of caution then they are pathetic victims.

"Do you really think that a glass of wine a month is going to be THE factor to make a baby retarded? Autistic?" Can you GUARANTEE that it is not? If you can't guarantee at what point in the baby's development that alcohol will not harm them or what amount will not harm them then why would you take the risk? The posts from the NOFAS should be enough to make you think long and hard about your overriding concern with your "own happiness and comfort".

[Jana]

Kathy,
I can see you’re getting upset. I just thought we were having an intellectual and impassioned discussion.

If my victim mentality helps prevent the implementation of laws that infringe on our rights and choices, such as a victim’s fight for equitable pay, decent healthcare and daycare, or other social equalities, even as minute as the right to eat and drink what I want, then I am proud to be aware of my victimhood.

I didn’t call you a martyr. I just said I don’t like that our American idea of a good mother is a sacrificial one. I don’t know you or your relationship with your children, other than the information you volunteered—that you gave up things that were not entirely necessary during pregnancy to ensure the health of your baby. You also clearly stated that the risk is not worth the consequence, and that all mothers should abstain for nine months. I take issue with whether there is such a risk, and so do other bloggers here.

Can you GUARANTEE that cell phones don’t hurt a developing fetus? There have been studies that suggest they can cause brain tumors. Can you guarantee sitting in the sun for extended periods of time won’t cause your baby to have an increased likelihood of skin cancer? What about partially hydrogenated soybean oil? Can you guarantee that eating it in your foods during the first trimester, even in small quantities, won’t cause the baby to be born prematurely, or make the baby less smart than she would have been if you ate solely organic foods?

As you can see, this argument about guarantees gets tiring. We cannot, unfortunately, guarantee that if a pregnant woman abides by all her doctors’ advice, even if the advice varies, she will not have a baby born with ADD, Autism, schizophrenia, a large birthmark, webbed feet, a weak heart, or her father’s pointy nose.

I can guarantee, however, that I will love my child and make the most informed, thought-out decisions about his or her well-being, as well as my own.