The "just a glass of wine with dinner" and "me mum said somedays, the only thing she could keep down was a Guiness" crowds just got a little thinner today.
The UK government just changed their official recommendation about drinking alcohol during pregnancy from "no more than two units a day once or twice a week" to "avoid alcohol if pregnant or trying to conceive."
The change was apparently prompted by an increased sense of caution and a desire to give clearer advice, not by any new research findings or scientific studies. Or as the head of the National Childbirth Trust said in criticizing the switch, "Pregnant women need more evidence and less advice."
Don't we all? That should be a t-shirt. I gotta say, when the Mormon guy sides with the NCT boozers, you can be pretty sure you botched the drinking policy.
Pregnant? Then don't touch alcohol is latest health advice [guardian via tmn]
When my wife was pregnant with our first we had an older version of an English book that suggested she drink no more than 2 drinks per day.
She would have to increase her drinking to meet that.
Her doctor did give her the "small glass of red wine" clearance in the last few weeks of the pregancy though.
What they basically seem to have said (THIS IS NOT MY OPINION!!) was that women were too stupid to understand the concept of "one or two units once or twice a week" so they're now recommending no alcohol at all.
No scientific evidence, not even anecdotal evidence. Just the nanny state underestimating its citizens again.
It's a tragedy for Britain, as without alcohol, there won't be any children conceived at all!
[though after Gwyneth was spotted drinking a Guiness, Britney used that as justification when she got busted downing three margaritas at Bennigan's or wherever. -ed.]
i recently met an english man who mentioned his mother was given govt money/allowance for her daily guinness during pregnancy. i also noticed that he had a very small head somewhat reminiscent of fetal alcohol syndrome. coincidence??
[maybe he was a carnie. -ed.]
And what about while nursing? My mom's doctor told her to limit her drinking like this: "Don't drink so much that you drop the baby."
Nice.
a friend from high school is a neuroscientist and does research on the effects of alcohol on fetal cells...as she puts it the results are "scary". and this was before I was preggo.