Paul,Be sure to let us know about the Happy Event in March! Beth Benoit On Sat, Feb 7, 2009 at 9:57 AM, Paul C Bernhardt <[email protected]>wrote:
> > This is precisely the calculus my wife and I have employed over the past 7 > months of her pregnancy (expecting in late March). That is, since the > evidence is unclear on what is safe, but clearly none is safe, then none is > the right answer. > > There were celebrations we attended in which we would have liked the answer > to be 'one glass a day is OK' but not having really good evidence to support > that left us saying, "no, thank you" at parties, and using Fre alcohol free > sparkling wine for New Years. > > -- > Paul Bernhardt > Frostburg State University > Frostburg, MD, USA > > > > On 2/6/09 11:50 AM, "DeVolder Carol L" <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > Dear Tipsters, > > I tried posting this on the other list (PSYTEACH) but it was rejected > because it serves no purpose to carry this any further since it has strayed > from the "teaching of psychology." This list is easier, and if you're not > interested, then just delete it. I think it relates to teaching psych > because I want to provide my students with what I consider valid information. > So, I'm copying what I sent to the other list for what it's worth. The > question on PSYTEACH to which I am referring dealt with how much alcohol is > safe > during pregnancy, and whether we are using scare tactics to unnecessarily > frighten people. > > I've been waiting to write this message because I wanted to hear back from > a colleague, Dr. Jennifer Thomas, at San Diego State University. In my > opinion, Jennifer is a well-respected expert in this field and is past > president of the Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Study Group. I also went to > grad school with Jen and remember her work with rat pups and their exposure > to alcohol (that's my disclosure about potential bias, but really I'd still > consider her an expert). I asked her for her opinion on acceptable levels of > alcohol ingestion during pregnancy and the threshold for adverse fetal > effects, and she acknowledged that there is very active debate on the topic, > with the consensus in the US being somewhat different from the consensus in > the UK. (The position in the US is abstinence, in the UK the accepted level > is a glass per day.) In her words, "The problem really is that there is so > much variability in response to alcohol(genetics, nutrition, other > exposures) that one cannot make a prediction of the risk for an individual > and so there is NO known safe level of alcohol exposure during pregnancy. > We certainly see changes with low levels of exposure with the animal > models. It is more difficult to study in humans." Jennifer also pointed me > to two sites, which I am including here: *http://www.rsoa.org/fas.html* < > http://www.rsoa.org/fas.html> and *http://www.rsoa.org/fas-Response.pdf*< > http://www.rsoa.org/fas-Response.pdf> . The second link has a reference > list. > > My opinion remains unchanged--I still believe in complete abstinence during > all phases of pregnancy. I realize there are anecdotes about people who > drink and their "baby came out just fine," but I'd rather be safe than sorry > as much as possible. > > Carol > > > > Carol DeVolder, Ph.D. > > Professor of Psychology > > Chair, Department of Psychology > > St. Ambrose University > > Davenport, Iowa 52803 > > phone: 563-333-6482 > > e-mail: [email protected] > > > > > --- > To make changes to your subscription contact: > > Bill Southerly ([email protected]) > > > > --- > To make changes to your subscription contact: > > Bill Southerly ([email protected]) > > -- "We will not learn how to live in peace by killing each other's children." - Jimmy Carter "Are our children more precious than theirs?" --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ([email protected])
