From: brein@gpvax.jpl.nasa.gov (Barry Rein)
Newsgroups: sci.med
Subject: Re: My wife drank during her pregnancy and the baby lived!
Date: 12 Oct 92 17:21:55 GMT
Followup-To: sci.med
Organization: Jet Propulsion Laboratory

In article <1992Oct11.045815.4727@cs.rochester.edu>, you wrote:
> 
> >In article <brein-071092154633@128.149.100.150> brein@gpvax.jpl.nasa.gov (Barry Rein) writes:
> >It seems to me that the hysteria about drinking during pregnancy is just
> >that, etc.
> 
> The recent decision to advise against all drinking in (especially early)
> pregnancy dates to about 1985.  At that time, a group of researchers was
>
> [Body deleted]
>
> If you want to help a woman's baby, help the woman.
> 
> -- 
> Mark A. Fulk			University of Rochester
> Computer Science Department	fulk@cs.rochester.edu

Thank you for your thoughtful reply.  I still believe, however, that the
issue is far from settled.

There were a number of steps of conjecture taken to arrive at the
recommendation to not drink at all.  One must first agree that the shutdown
of the fetal blood supply shown in the baboon study occurs in humans. Then
it would have to be shown that this shutdown has deleterious effects on the
embryo or fetus.  This would require a well conducted study which, I am
sure, could be designed.

>At the present state of our knowledge, we cannot estimate what the
>probability of harm is.  

I agree.  Now must we debate the value of a recommendation based on
evidence which is tenuous at best.  I don't want to get in a discussion
which will necessarily boil down to the psychology of risk assessment.

Ultimately drinking while pregnant is an individual choice.  If drinking
makes you uncomfortable then by all means don't.  But, in the absence of
contrary evidence, who is to say that the the pleasant feeling engendered
by the occasional glass of wine does not have beneficial effects which
outweigh physical and psychological stress of self-denial?

>Some people seem to have the attitude that a woman who drinks, smokes, uses
>other recreational drugs, eats chocolate, drinks coffee, rides a bicycle,
>works late, or so forth, simply does not care about her baby.  I have seen
>astonishing public displays of contempt for smoking pregnant women.  Given
>the enormous difficulty of ceasing the first five habits, I don't believe
>that this treatment should be condoned.  People with addictions have a very
>hard time.  Pregnant women have a hard time.  Mistreating them doesn't help,
>and there is already a large program of public education (at least hereabouts)
>on the potential harm to a fetus of drug addiction, smoking, and drinking.
>If you want to help a woman's baby, help the woman.

I fully agree with your last statement.  Apparently many people consider a
pregnant woman's body to be public property.  In such cases of public
contempt a blunt rejoinder of "mind your own business" is certainly called
for.

If what you said is true, the fetus is most susceptible to damage during
the first trimester.  The pregnancy is not externally visible during this
period.  Theoretically then, a woman could drink a pint of bourbon a day
until she started to show, following which she could ostentatiously abstain
in public, and bask in public approval while carrying a FAS basket case.

Regards,
Barry Rein
brein@dsfvax.jpl.nasa.gov

I am not a health professional. The above letter represents only my own
opinions, and does not reflect any position of JPL, Caltech, NASA, or the
US Government.