In the US alone, it is estimated that 3.3 million women could be endangering the health of their planned or unplanned offspring by drinking.
4 Februari 2016 15:00
Brilio.net/en - Some light advice from the United States government for all women who are not using birth control: dont drink, and beef up on the folic acid. The Center for Disease Control warns in a new report that women who are not using contraceptives and consuming alcohol are undergoing unacceptable risk for the potential unborn babies. In the US alone, it is estimated that 3.3 million women could be endangering the health of their planned or unplanned offspring by drinking.
While the CDCs recommendation may be drastic, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FSAD) is a serious issue that affects many children worldwide. According to extrapolated statistics from Cure Research in 2004, there were 21,460 reported incidents of FASD. There is a wide range of symptoms associated with the syndrome, from physical to mental handicaps. A study concluded in 2014 that binge drinking, i.e. consuming more than four alcoholic beverages in one sitting, could harm a childs cognitive abilities later on in life and moderate drinking had significant effects on childrens behaviour.
According to doctors, FSAD is completely preventable, even if genetics can play a role. In a study conducted in Washington State, 14% of children were born with FSAD to women who claimed that drank less than one drink per day. Even more so, a study in the United Kingdom conducted in 2010 found no evidence that light drinking during pregnancy led to differences in childrens cognitive behaviour or cognition at age 5.
With varying studies reporting different results, the recommendation from the CDC seems rather drastic. The rationale is that women might become pregnant and not realize it for the first few weeks. In order to prevent this from happening, abstaining from alcohol is the best way around it. The recommendation doesnt take into mind the women who have no intention of getting pregnant and strikes a cord with many around the country as it seemingly treats all women of childbearing age as potential mothers. While protecting foetuses in utero is the main goal of the CDCs recommendation, critics are claiming that it furthers sexist attitudes and policies that diminish the agency of women because of their not-yet-existent child.
(Reported by: Ivana Lucic)
