This is news to me, and I thought I should share!
When I was pregnant with my son (just 2 years ago!), the health information said that a small amount of alcohol during pregnancy (I believe during the 2nd trimester) would not cause harm. Of course, it was recommended to not drink any alcohol, but pregnant women could have a few sips of wine, or have one glass of wine on Sunday evening, and not harm their baby.
Well, I just read that "as little as one drink a week during pregnancy" may have negative effects on a child's behavior as teens! I was surprised, as we all know that drinking too much alcohol during pregnancy has the risk of causing immediate and severe birth defects (called fetal alcohol syndrome)...but one drink while pregnant on a Sunday evening could cause behavior problems when my child is a teenager?!
The answer to the above question is yes, but not in the manner you may think.
" There is evidence that even a low level of prenatal alcohol exposure is associated with aggressiveness, delinquency and other so-called "externalizing behaviors." But women who drink during pregnancy are themselves more likely to have these and other problems -- and may tend to choose mates that have such problems as well, the researchers point out."
To summarize, the researchers have found an association between "low level of prenatal alcohol exposure" (defined by as little as one drink per week during pregnancy) as having an impact on the child's behavior when he/she is a teenager. They ALSO found an association between the mechanism: it may/may not be just the alcohol itself, but mothers who do choose to drink during pregnancy are more likely themselves to have behavior/aggression issues...and may raise children who have these same behavior problems.
What do you think about this new finding? Does it change your behavior with choosing to drink a glass of wine while pregnant?
Source:
December 2008, journal of Pediatrics
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I am very lucky. I did not touch one drink when pregnant with all 4 of my children. I am still very lucky because I just found out at 53 that my mother had various glasses of alcohol while pregnant with me. I have struggled for many years not knowing why my behaviors were what they were!
I am presently going to school to get my certificate as a Community Support Worker at our College in YUKON, Canada. I work as a relief worker on weekends.
As a beginning, part-time student, I am taking for now, FASD (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder)and PCP (Person Centered Planning.) It is through this FASD course that I discovered the possibility that FASD might be my problem all these years.
I got bold and point blankly asked my mom if she had ever taken any alcohol while she was pregnant with me. I told her I was taking these courses to become a CSW and wanted to know if she did drink at all. "Yes," she told me, "One drink now and then was just fine. It helped bring the mother's milk in too. It's because of the yeast in beer and 1 oz of wine a day helps to build up your blood when you are anemic like me." Mom also said that her Bible told her to abstain from drinking while with child but, family pressure at get-to-gethers always won out.
My mom will be 84 in 12 days. Whether this is the time to tell her all about this discovery of mine must be carried out carefully so as not to wound her spirit and place any blame. One thing though, she says she wasn't born yesterday and it's not like I don't know what I've done in my life be it right or wrong, but I still have forgiveness from my Father in Heaven every single day and accepted just the way I am.
I guess this is something that all of us need to hear.
So everyone out there, "Please, don't even taste the alcohol while pregnant. That one time can hurt your child's brain for the rest of it's life and yours too. God Bless you to have the strength to say NO to Alcohol!
Paulette T.
March 6, 2009 - 7:35pmThis Comment
I love your response! I agree that mothers are to blame for every minute detail, but only if it has to do with our child's negative behavior. Why not blame the delinquent teenager's behavior on the woman who sacrificed her body, mind and spirit 15 years prior for 9 months. We certainly aren't "blamed" if our child is doing everything well!
I also think it is too easy, or "fashionable" as you said, to become a "puritan for pregnancy". Is there an easier target: a woman with a huge pregnant belly and swollen ankles drinking a coffee, or a glass of wine, or curly cheese and chili fries.
Moderation is key, but the difficult part of that phrase is "moderation" is not clearly defined, and harmful substances can be abused. I have a difficult time imagining that a single-serving of alcohol on an infrequent occasion could be harmful while pregnant..but then the other part of me thinks, why risk it?!
December 7, 2008 - 8:57pmThis Comment
It seems a little over the top. Many of our parents drank while pregnant with us and many of us do not and have not had unsual aggressive tendencies. Besides, wouldn't it be accurate to say that the hormonal changes during adolesence often cause stress and this is part of growing up? And what about the fact that most teengers try alcohol themselves? It seems funny to blame the mother who gave birth to the teeager fifteen years before (and had one glass of red wine with dinner) for any aggression issues.
December 7, 2008 - 6:41pmHow about mothers just being reasonable while pregnant? I would say that a few sips of wine or the occasional light beer while pregnant is not too much. It's probably far healthier to have a drink once in a while than consume fries, white bread, candy and the other food that many mother's in this country eat by the cart load.
Moderation...that what I say.
It just seems all too fashionable to become a puritan for pregnancy these days. We cannot be held totally responsible for every single aspect of our children's personality.
I am from Europe and we are far more easy going and manage to bring up realtively healthy offspring. In Europe you are strange if the occasinal glass of wine is NOT in your diet!
This Comment
Thanks for the share, great information. I do not have children but it is certainly great information to know for the future.
December 7, 2008 - 3:48pmThis Comment