Alcohol And Pregnancy Not As Bad As Assumed

Title:
Alcohol and Pregnancy: Not As Bad As Assumed?

Word Count:
573

Summary:
Medical science has always been keen to warn pregnant women to avoid drinking, because it may cause growth defects on the fetus. However, a recent British study has challenged that claim by reevaluating the previously conducted studies and making investigations of their own. For the time being, the results areinconclusive one way or another, but more research is to follow.


Keywords:
side effects, pregnancy, mental health


Article Body:
Wine, drinking, and alcohol have always been associated with a variety of negative effects, particularly on pregnant women and the fetuses they carry. The consumption of alcohol during pregnancy has been linked to a number of unwanted side effects, including stunted cell growth and impaired nervous system development. The damage done by drinking during pregnancy can also sometimes lead to neurological disorders later on in life, though only under certain circumstances. However, recent medical studies have discovered that a little drinking during pregnancy may not pose such a high risk as it has been thought to be, provided the amounts are carefully monitored and are not in excess.

Now, numerous studies have pointed out that drinking while pregnant is a negative factor. These same studies have shown that women who had drinking binges while expecting have children who develop a variety of problems later in life, both in physical wellness and mental health. However, it is worth noting that the studies have not exactly determined what in alcohol causes these problems, or if alcohol indulgence causes these issues at all. In recent studies, evidence has come to light that alcohol may not be as large a factor for causing ill effects during pregnancy as initially believed. There is some debate on whether or not it is as damaging as initially believed, but most do not doubt that it would have a few side effects.

Recently, the University of Oxford conducted studies into the issue under the leadership of Dr. Ron Gray. The researchers began by reviewing the results and conditions of 14 previous studies to try and eliminate any factors other than the biological and chemical that might have contributed to the results. According to the team's preliminary findings, previous studies limited their definitions of what it means to “binge drink” and did not seem to take certain factors into account. Factors such as frequency were paid attention to by some, while others ignored it in favor of amount of alcohol ingested.


Currently, no studies have revealed a link between occasional drinking binges and effects such as stillbirths, miscarriages, and fetal alcohol syndrome. Other problems include poor IQ scores and social development skills, suffering academic performance, and learning disabilities. The word “occasional” is considered to be the critical term in the study's definition. There is no doubt that regular binging on alcohol is going to guarantee some sort of damage to the fetus, but there is no evidence what imbibing smaller amounts with less frequency can do. Some parties have taken issue with the study's definition of binge drinking, which only includes women who drink throughout the pregnancy period. This puts their assumption that “occasional drinking doesn't cause much damage” into a questionable light.

For the time being, most doctors are still likely to advise women to stay away from drinking. While there may be no damage done in a drink or two, there is still no direct information on just how much alcohol it would take to cause damage. The amount of time in between drinks is also unknown, which adds another complication. It may be that occasional drinking can do no damage, while regular intake (even of smaller amounts) can cause long-term defects. Or it is possible that quantity of alcohol imbibed, regardless of what intervals are in between binges. At the moment, researchers are taking the stand that further study is needed to fully understand all possible angles of this situation.

BONUS : All Hands on Baby

Everyone wants to touch the baby, especially during the pregnancy but no one every asks. If you haven't noticed yet, the minute you start to show a tummy everyone else will gladly show you. The tummy becomes this magnet for hands and everyone wants to handle it. It doesn’t matter if you are walking around in a store, sitting down in a restaurant or walking on your own street, someone is bound to start rubbing all over it.

You aren’t the only one that is being driven nuts by this either, take a look at your husband. Sure he seems like a trooper but deep inside he’s probably ready to put someone’s lights out. Talk with your husband and see how he feels. Even if you don’t mind, he might not like other men’s hands on you. He may not care if it is a female touching your body but he can mind about a man. Think about how you would feel if you saw some woman rubbing her hands all over your husband’s chest. Maybe the two of you can come to an agreement, after all do you have to let everyone touch the baby?

Your belly, clothed or not is a personal space, sure there is someone intruding inside you but that person in welcome. But to actually touch someone else’s belly one should ask before they do it and respect your answer. If you don’t want them to touch it, tell them. While some women don’t mind all the attention, there are other women that don’t want their belly’s touched, let alone them to be showing for the whole world to see. Maybe they’ve gained 10 pounds and feel conscious enough about it, or they could be a very private person.

Children may also want to touch the belly, normally it is because they know someone that has had a baby and they were able to do it. If you don’t like it, let them know. If you don’t mind, you may want to place their hand on your belly. Children tend to get excited and actually smack the belly when they are trying to reach for it.

Forget about the rubbing the belly for a moment, be careful that you don’t get the person that likes to poke at it. That hurts more than anything and half the time they don’t get it. Try explaining to them as nicely as you can that it hurts. They may only be doing it because they want to see the baby move and when you jump they just think it is part of the pregnancy reaction. They may think twice before doing it again to you or anyone else.

If nothing else seems to work and you’ve been polite in letting people know that your belly is off limits, feel free to sick your husband on them or start swatting. You’ve already given fair warning. Don’t feel bad if you smack a person that lifts up your shirt in broad daylight either. This is a normal reaction and people should really think twice before doing it. They wouldn’t do it if you weren’t pregnant.