Fetal Alcohol Syndome

[jennyleightay]

Hello to everyone...for anyone who knows me, I finally have GOOD news to report!  I am now 17 weeks pregnant, no more bleeding, and all good signs...I am finally feeling more confident in this pregancy!  To all of you who offered me support during my earlier worries, thank you again!
Now I am concerned about someone else...a friend of mine is pregant (unexpectedly, unplanned, but she is keeping the baby and "hoping" to make it work with the father.  I am concerned because she is still drinking alcohol.  Not out of control, just a couple of beers or so, but on a daily basis.  Her rationalization is that in her mother's day, "everyone drank" and most kids turned out "fine."  Has anyone had any experience with fetal alcohol syndrome, either babies born with it OR mothers who drank through their pregnancies and still had healthy babies?  I would like to hear any and all stories so I have some ammunition and knowledge before I try to talk to her about her choices.
I am going for my Level 2 ultrasound tomorrow, and we are hoping to find out the sex of the baby!  Very excited about that!  Had the Alpha-Feta Protein test a couple of weeks ago, and that was normal, which was a huge relief!  I will be just 38 when this baby (my first) is born, so I am stricken with the worries of an "older" mom-to-be!  So far, so good!

[jennimom]

good luck!  jenni

[jennimom]

regarding the Level 2 that is, don't know what to advise on the other.

[Christie2004]

I'm concerned about your friend, and I have been a nurse from way back "when" they considered an occasional glass of wine a good helper for expectant moms to get a good night sleep!

Please tell your friend that currently there is NO KNOWN SAFE amount of alcohol that should be consumed during pregnancy.  The fact that it was done many years ago is no reason to rationalize the way she is using it.  For example--many people smoke, right?  The fact that most people do all right doesn't negate the fact that a LOT of people die from it!  

The same is true for drinking during pregnancy.  Most times, there is no problem....but occasionally there is.  And there HAVE been cases of fetal alcohol syndrome associated with "occasional" drinkers--drinking doesn't have to be excessive to cause a problem.  A couple of beers a day IS excessive, and the fact that your friend can't even stop for the brief duration of pregnancy indicates to me that she has a problem with drinking.  I hope you can encourage her to share with her care provider the amount and frequency of her drinking.  

Be prepared for the fact that she probably won't stop.  She doesn't recognize the problem, and so won't be motivated to do something about it.  If you go visit your own OB, ask if there isn't some literature you could have to share with your friend.

Pregnant women should not drink.  Period.  I don't think your friend can find any source that says she can drink a couple of beers a day without concern for the baby.

Good luck!

[nanakay]

you could tell your friend that "in the day" we also used to ride laying down in the back widow of the car at 55 mPH....but we don't do that to our kids anymore either.
we used to set the live christmas tree 2 feet from the fire place (main source of heat) and leave it all burning all night....just hoping not to catch the house on fire......MOST of the time it was fine, but would you do that now!
our parents did a lot of stupid things that they thought were fine.....but we wouldn't do it NOW.

my niece was born to a woman that was born with fetal alcohol syndrome.... while there is nothing wrong with my niece(because her mother never drank) the reason she is MY niece is because her mother's mentality would not allow her to understand how to take care of a child.....my niece has 5 syblings out there somewhere....  that is sad.  these children that are born with FAS grow up eventually and you can't stop them from having children....which puts that many more children into the system.
it's a visious cycle and i am glad that you are concerned about your friend.
sorry to vent all over you
~nanci

[jluhart]

Saw this on demonstrating the effect of alcohol on a baby's brain.

Break a raw egg (without breaking the yolk) into a bowl. Add a 1 ounce shot glass of alcohol. With a swizzle stick, gently stir some of the alcohol into the egg white. Watch the effects on the egg white. White streaks will form in the clear portion. Alcohol literally cooks the cells. “Here is your baby's brain on alcohol”


Also might want to pass along--

FAS is the leading known cause of mental retardation.

FAS produces irreversible physical and mental damage.

Costs for one FAS child is estimated to be $2 million over a  lifetime.

FAS costs the American taxpayer more than $321 million every year.

No amount of alcohol consumption during pregnancy is known to be safe.

Of FAS Individuals between the ages of 12 and 51:
95% will have mental health problems
55% will be confined in prison, drug or alcoholtreatment centers or a mental institution
60% will have "disrupted school experience"
60% will have trouble with the law
52% will exhibit inappropriate sexual behavior

Of FAS individuals between 21 and 51:
82% will not be able to live independently
70% will have problems with employment
More than 50% of males and 70% of females will have alcohol and
drug problems