For 'Gods-sake', just blame everything on 'pregnant-mum'!
Do you think the don't have enough to worry about??
.....................................................
PLEASE LEAVE THEM ALONE!!!,
And don't start blaming the MMR 'tragedy' on the Pregnant Mother!!!
This is at best, a 'Deviant' scheme to make new laws to have complete control of a pregnant Woman!!
I say NOW!! 'Stick-it-where-the-sun-don't-shine'
'YOU DONT BRAINWASH ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WE ARE 'NO' MUPPETS!
WE CAN SEE WHERE THIS IS ALL LEADING TO!!
'BACK OFF!!

Yet another scare story about Alcohol and trying to link it to Autism this time.

Read it carfully and you will see that it is not Autism we are talking about but FASD which has nothing to do with Autism. The headline just tries to link Alcohol and Autism together.

Even the "Research" is just pure figures picked from the air with no proper figures or investigation to back it up.

As a parent of an autistic spectrum child this type of hack journalism is to be despised. Next time please try and find out what you are talking about before writing this sort of tosh.

#3. Fitaloon, This whole week is about,
'Blame a Pregnant Woman on everything' in the news articles in the Scotsman!
It makes me 'MAD'
All I can think off, it IS some kind of 'deviant' plan to Brainwash us all,
IT WONT WASH WITH ME!!!!
If and when my DYW gets 'Pregnant', it might be the case, we will have to go into 'hiding' to protect her from these 'idiots'
And let the, Pregnant 'Women' as in my DYW (I hope), 'Know-Best'
After all if they did not, none of us would be here today!
Again... 'BACK-OFF'.... is Pregnancy not hard enough to contend with, without all this 'Tripe'??

Wasn't it a year or so ago that smoking was supposed to be causing all these birth defects?

Say bye-bye to your booze next.

This is abosolutelu RUBISH! This so called expert must have taken a page out of Bruno Bettleheim's quack papers. I hope someone smacks this so called expert up the side of his head with a sledge hammer!!!!

absolutely even:( I was blinded by rage and spelt the word incorrectly).

If I could report this article as unsuitable I would do so... the headline is completely misleading... The 'expert' is giving her own opinion on something which is so far not backed up by research...The article is not about any link between moderate drinking in pregnancy and autism, it is actually about FASS being misdiagnosed as Autism. The editor should be ashamed of his/herself in allowing such an false and alarmist headline for this article.

This article is misleading and sensationalist. Most women, at least here in the US, do not drink during pregnancy, but autism is dramatically on the rise. To try to establish this link is ridiculous. Alcohol can cause many problems to the unborn child, but this article implies an untruth. Alcohol use should be a consideration in any childhood problem, but no more than a myriad of other behavioral, chemical, hereditary, and diagnostic considerations. The Scotsman should retract this article on grounds of creating an exaggerated link between drinking pregnant women and autistic children.
There are many other reasons for the apparent rise in autism, but drinking mothers is not one of the most likely. Think before you print.

Sorry, I meant to point out that I agree with DannyG & RoscoeUpNorth. Although I will continue reading The Scotsman for now, I feel the headline and some of the wording of this article has seriously compromised this paper's integrity.
Now all the poor women who tried their best to avoid potentially harmful food, drink, activities, & environments during pregnancy might erroneously be associated with something they did not do.

it may be down to drinking. How come when things go wrong, then it is someone else's fault not the fact mothers may have been drinking when they should not have been.

what happened to personal responsibilty

wonderful, blame the moms again. as a mother of two autistic children who not only didnt drink while i was prenant but just dont drink alcohol period, makes me angry to read this article. its not bad enough that they once thought autism was caused because of refridgerator mothers. ridiculous and hurtful.

This is a rather sad bit of reporting . No good for parenting skills, more like crying 'Wolf' at the sight of a shadow.

Fife runner - you are being offensive, stop it.

I am the mother of a seventeen year old with Asperger's and I don't drink. In most cases of autism you don't have to look much further than the close relatives to pinpoint the source of the autism.
Not all, but most, including my own!

As has been pointed out already, the journalistic standard of this article is appalling, in that the headline totally misses the thrust of the argument. Big Doh! This is doubly disappointing in view of the Scotsman's recent series of articles intended to raise awareness of autism and the suffering of affected families for which it is to be commended.
This sloppy journalism has just undone all that good work and a correction should be published.

It is safe to say that there will be some readers who won't look much further than the title and then I'll be regarded askance as some sort of closet alkie, by dint of the fact that my son has autism.

Ho Hum, just another perfect day in the world of an Aspie mother!

This is poor science. Just because there is a statistical link between drinking Mum's and Autism in their children does not of itself prove their drinking causes the Autism. For example, there might be some single genetic factor that could trigger EITHER or BOTH as symptoms of the same thing.
It's the same poor science that insists Cannabis abuse causes mental illness. Bad science! It is just as likely (more likely in my opinion) that people who are taking Cannabis may already have an undiagnosed mental illness and are self-medicating by taking this drug.

More junk science. The Hootsmon should be a bit more circumspect about some of the garbage it prints.

The Scotsman has run stories linking FAS/FASD with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) before, from the same source.

It does not surprise me that this source is within Ayrshire, given the professional culture prevalent in this part of Scotland, which seeks to minimise expenditure on children with disabilities, particularly those with the `invisible` disability of Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD). If, as a parent, you are in dispute with your local education authority about the educational provision for your child, medical professionals will not get involved. My own local authority's education department initially refused to use the term `autistic spectrum disorder` in my child's Record of Needs on the grounds that "this is a term used by our colleagues in health." With such an attitude, one would expect some support from medical professionals for the parents and child - unfortunately, there was none.

Dr. Maggie Watts is a consultant in Public Health. This is the same area of medicine that seeks to persuade parents to vaccinate their children with the MMR and other vaccines, some of which are known to contain a mercury-based preservative. These vaccines are linked to the phenomenal increase in the numbers of children with ASD. Contrary to Dr. Watts' theory of misdiagnosis of Foetal Alcohol Syndrome as autism, Autism Rights knows of wide failures and indeed refusal, by health professionals to give a diagnosis of Autistic Spectrum Disorder, sometimes using ADHD as a substitute diagnosis.

The article refers to `a range of behavioural problems in young children, the cause of which has previously been a mystery.` - Well, if you do not look, you will not find. If you are only interested in a `genetic`cause, or one which firmly pins personal responsibility only on the parent, then you are never going to get to the bottom of the continuing increase in the numbers of children presenting with an ASD. But then perhaps that is the point. Those health

I have just had a meeting with the 'Baby&Tot's Army'!
The 'Baby&Tot's Army'! are extremely annoyed about this report!
ITS ALL OUT WAR!!!!!!!
Pooh'y nappies, loud screaming 24/7, sick and bottles of old milk at the ready!!!!!!
By Gosh,
Dr Maggie Watts and team,
BETTER WATCH OUT!!!!!! :-DD

Only another front in the new lucrative "war on alcohol" from Public Health,expect the same tactics because its many of the same people, that brought us such wonders as "passive smoking makes your teeth fall out"

If in doubt, use common sense.

Regardless of whether or not Autism is linked to alcohol use- and I agree that reports like this one is more anecdotal junk science than anything solid, women in the USA have been told to avoid alcohol and everything else while pregnant. No Tylenol, cigarettes, antibiotics, cold medicine, antacids, NOTHING, simply because there is no way to study effects of such things on unborn children.

#21. Riverkidca,
"Say bye-bye to your booze next."
If they don't Shut-the-'F'-up!
They will get 'Babies-Bottle' where the 'sun-don't-shine'
And its not their Mouths!!

Yes scandalous to blame alcohol for damaging babies in the womb.

What harm has alcohol ever done anyone?

eg
My sister in law comes from a large family of alcoholics who have just about all now died from alcohol related illnesses, her father and brother being the latest.

She herself is the life and soul of every party, could drink for Scotland and did not let a wee thing like her pregnancy put a dampener on everyone's fun.

Her first birth was helped by the litre and a half of Lambrusco she had put away before going into labour, the midwife even remarked that baby had good colour probably on account of all that red wine she'd had.

No-one at Rutherglen maternity ever suggested alcohol during pregnancy as an issue.

The wee girl was a lovely wee thing who never cried and was easy to care for.
She never crawled but bummed along the floor on her behind, much more ladylike.

We never heard a fuss from her, in fact she never spoke to anyone in company, even to this day, but her mum tells us that on her own she can have the most terrific temper tantrums.

She is now a strikingly attractive tall young woman inspite of the terrible curvature of her spine which although it gives her terrible pain and discomfort she never mentions it to anyone but her mother.

The one thing that is remarkable about her appearance is that above her top lip is completely smooth, she doesn't have that wee dimple between the lip and her nose.
She also growing up would habitualy pluck out her eyebrows until completely gone. She has been 'cured' of this now but constantly wears a cap to cover the bald patch where she pulls out her hair instead.

School it has to be said was always an issue, she never mixed with other kids and was always getting into bother for inappropriate behaviour.
Eventually she was excluded from every school she attended. They don't do expulsion these days I hear.

Her dad is hugely frustrated tha

Sorry, "alleged" alcohol related illnesses.

Yes, the headline is a piece of pish, and the editor should apologise to the readers AND the Dr whose comments have now been hijacked into the autism debate, but if you read over the body of the article, it is NOT saying that children are autistic because their mother drank in pregnancy, but that some children who are diagnosed as autistic, may in fact be suffering from FASD and have been misdiagnosed.
Now can any one of you armchair experts say that FASD does not exist?
It does indeed exist, and what Dr Watt appears to be saying from my understanding of reading the article, is that she is concerned that recent reports in the press that 'moderate drinking' does not affect babies may be giving people a false idea that it is safe to drink alcohol in pregancy, when she believes that it is not. I don't think there is a safe level of alcohol that women can drink in pregnancy either, and have seen the effects of fetal alcohol syndrome on newborns, so I wouldn't be encouraging anyone to exercise their rights to consume 1.5 units a day after the three month mark.
The article is about misdiagnosis of FASD as Autism, not about misdiagnosis of Autism as FASD.

#27. Suzi B, Hi Suzi, nice to see ya!
You can help my BaBa's and Tot's prepare for war! ;-)

perhaps all of you out there ought to reign in your indignation just a tad. The article just indicates that alchohol and autism may be connected.Havent as such said that this is definitly the case. Anyway anyone wanting the best for their child will surely want to give them the best start this surely means from fetous to child to adult.So eat healthy dont smoke dont drink get plenty of rest and enjoy your pregnancy.Your child when he/she grows up will manage to make up their minds about all these 'bad habits' themselves.

26. livilion

You're completely missing the point, which is that the content of the article doesn't reflect what is said in the headline. It doesn't say that drinking alcohol causes autism - it says that children may be being wrongly diagnosed with autism INSTEAD of foetal alcohol syndrome.

Nobody is saying that alcohol isn't dangerous in certain circumstances, but as a non-drinker, I will take exception to people thinking that somehow I caused my son's autism.

Unfortunately they do not specify if they are talking about eating a rum truffle or drinking two bottles of wine a night. As I have said before, I had one sip of wine with a large sunday lunch, I also took no tablets of any sort, but no one tried to scare me out of doing so, I just used common sense.

#28 Charles.
Only if you don't do what you are threatening at post #24!

#35
That's what untalented people say to make themselves feel better about their lack of achievement in life!

30. ipk, kirkcaldy
No you're missing my point, these people getting on their high horses such as @ #21, #22,#23 that alcohol is being blamed for autism.
Foetal Alcohol Syndrome presents in many forms which may be misdiagnosed as autism but in more extreme cases also presents with physical as well as mental symptoms.

I have a brother with a child neither of whom have recieved any guidance or assistance from the so called experts they've called on for their help.

This kid has had her life experience blighted by this condition and designated as, well just about every derogatory term in the book, through no fault of her own.

Try to tell her mother it could have been down to her drinking during pregnancy and the reaction would be the same as our friends mentioned above.

The point here is this family, and too many like it, are now consigned to a living hell with no hope of reprieve, what should we now be doing to ensure no other families have to share the same fate?

31. Rose Leeds

On what information did you base your common sense?

#37 Livilion has made good points about fetal alcohol syndrome.
Here we have a syndrome which could be history tomorrow if people refrained from drinking during pregnancy. Simple as that-fetal alcohol syndrome would cease to exist. All it takes is for people not to drink during pregnancy.
What isn't simple is that female alcoholics are totally underdiagnosed, remain stigmatised in society and even when identified, cannot be compelled not to drink. But if a woman doesn't have an alcohol problem and can choose to refrain during pregnancy, surely they would do that to avoid the risk of FASD, when nobody knows what a safe amount is during pregnancy?
Instead of being angry with Dr Watt for being the bearer of bad news, we should be thankful that someone has raised the awareness on a disorder that could be avoided.
I still think that the editor of the Scotsman should apologise to readers and Dr Watt for the headline of this article for causing unneccessary distress to those people struggling to find a cause for their childs autism, who may now feel stigmatised as a result of the careless journalism practiced by this newspaper.

37. livion

They're getting on their high horses about it because it's been misrepresented by the article - that's the point of this discussion! The questionable journalism, not anything else.

You've just hijacked it to suit your own purposes.

My son's life IS a living hell and mine with it - and it's got nothing to do with alcohol.

Keep to the subject being discussed, not the one you want to discuss.

#42
With respect, the article is about fetal alcohol syndrome not autism. The discussion on this thread is about the appalling misrepresentation made in the opening paragraph AND fetal alcohol syndrome so livilion IS keeping to the subject being discussed.

Here in the US of A, pregnant women are pretty much forbidden to drink! I've heard of pregnant women being denied a glass of wine in restaurants, and being refused service at a liquor store. Society frowns on it. The general recommendation is that alcohol should not be consumed at all during pregnancy, and all alcohol bottles are clearly marked to prohibit drinking while pregnant. That being said, autism abounds here. I know a good number of families who have kids somewhere on the autism spectrum, none of whom drank at all during pregnancy. Sadly, the lead in to this story is nothing more than sensationalism.

Of course, alcohol, cigarettes, pot, crack, meth, they're all drugs. Some legal, some not. Drugs are a risky business for the born and the unborn. So are mercury ridden fish. So is carbon monoxide from the exhaust of cars, and so on and so on.

I have a feeling that even if we lived in a bubble somewhere, we might not be completely safe.

Don't we want the best for our children? Well, at least keep an open mind.
Methinks the pro-alcohol lobby doth protest too much.

Charles Linskaill - numerous infantile posts - Has it occurred to you that FASD might be behind your aggressive tendencies?

25 & 37 livilion - a witness - It's a pity that people are not willing to see the connections.

27, 41 & 43 Suzy B - That is exactly right. I agree with all you say.

livilion@ 25 - I have to say that your description of your niece - particularly that of the lack of a philtrum (the groove below the nostrils), and the alcohol consumption of your sister-in-law whilst carrying her daughter, ticks the right boxes for Foetal Alcohol Syndrome.

Nobody is saying that FAS doesn't exist, but its prevalence is hotly disputed amongst health professionals. In relation to autism, the whole issue of prevalence is extremely controversial, because Public Health professionals have `form` as regards denial of the huge increases in the numbers of children with autism.

Mothers of children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders have had to suffer being called cold or `refridgerator` mothers, before Dr. Bernard Rimland destroyed that myth in the 1960s. If you take a look at the Autism Rights' Briefing Paper, particularly the section on Munchausen's Syndrome by Proxy (MSBP) / Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD), you'll see that new myths have been created and sustained, because of the continued denial of the ten-fold increase in Autistic Spectrum Disorder over the same number of years.The prevalence rates for ASD continue to rise, from 1 in 166 a few years back, to 1 in 150 today. Some surveys have put the current rate of prevalence at 1 in 100 or 1 in 86.

http://www.autismrights.org.uk/BriefingPaperIndex.html

http://www.autismrights.org.uk/AttachmentDisorderVictimis...

As autism is currently only diagnosed using a behavioural model, which ignores associated health problems, be they bowel disease, immune deficiency or a severely abnormal metabolic profile (see - http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/22178.php )
there are a number of disorders with which some of it

If anybody thinks it is unrealistic to test children with ASD for the presence of environmental toxins, they should take a look at the recent WHO report, which lists amongst its recommendations that:-
* sub-populations with the highest exposure levels should be identified
*biomarkers of exposure, susceptibility and effect should be developed, particularly for the early developmental stages

Principles for Evaluating Health Risks in Children Associated with Exposure to
Chemicals
Environmental Health Criteria 237
http://www.who.int/ipcs/publications/ehc/ehc237.pdf

From the independently funded research that has taken place, children with ASD have raised levels of environmental toxins in their bodies. The normal capacity to excrete toxins also appears to be impaired in those with autism. Therefore, they would be ideal candidates for the type of medical investigation envisaged in the WHO report.

no. 43

Expert links autism to mothers drinking.

Sorry, Suzy, but taken at face value, this sentence is linking autism to drinking, not the other way round.
So my whole objection to the tone of the headline as opposed to the content of the article stands.
As a non-drinker, I fully take on board the distress that alcohol causes. I just object to it being linked to autism without any proper research behind that assertion.

If I understand this correctly the headline is saying completely the opposite to the article. Can mothers like ipk and myself with children with Aspergers or autism who didn't drink during pregnancy get an apology from The Scotsman for this appalling bit of writing?

Would you headline a story today "Scots victorious over Italians" and then write an article telling the truth? I don't think so!

#48. ipk & #49. agatha, dalkeith

Sub editor links mothers drinking to autism.

Ask any scientist any question, they will not answer a straight yes or no but give you a balance of probability:
' could wearing comfy sloppers be fatal? Well the odds of comfy slippers being the cause of death are perhaps one in a billion but not impossible'
Headline 'comfy slippers hidden peril!'

A hack with an agenda can therefore put any question and get an answer he can use to back an attention grabbing headline such as the Scotsman is notorious for doing.
'Shocking link found between incidence of fires and presence of fire fighters, experts warn. Is it time to disband the fire service?'

Add to this the fact that this is the morning after the night before, when any drink related headline is more likely to grab attention.

It also shows how many are quick to jump in with their tuppence worth having only read the headline and readers'
comments.

no. 50 livilion

Sorry, but unlike you, I consider the Scotsman a paper of some repute and it is beneath them to make such a glaring blunder. They should make redress to those who have been offended, like myself. A simple apology will suffice.

There's nothing wrong with the article as such, just the headline attached to it. If you bought some prime meat only to discover dog food, I think you'd have some objection.

Can't you just admit there's a problem with this piece of writing as it stands and then we'll agree? I don't have any agenda other than to get a fair deal for people like my son. I don't want his condition inextricably linked with alcohol of all things.

`Watts, who is also a consultant in public health medicine at NHS Ayrshire and Arran, warned that up to one in 100 Scots children - as many as 9,000 - could be suffering from Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) with symptoms including behavioural and memory difficulties.
But she said many could be misdiagnosed as suffering from autism and other neurodevelopmental problems because doctors do not ask mothers about their pregnancy drinking habits when making their diagnosis.`

The Scotsman and its subbies do have a habit (pun intended) of sensationalism - but it's very clear from the above quotation that there is mischief-making by Ayrshire and Arran Health Board and its Public Health department, in the form of Dr. Watts. At the very least, there is a clear attempt being made at empire-building. At worst, they are attempting their very own `diagnostic substitution` of autism with FAS, particularly given their estimation (1 in 100) of prevalence of FAS - compare with the current 1 in 150 for ASD.

What price the Scotsman's support of the NAS `Think differently` campaign now?

I think #46 has raised the most interesting point of all with regards to science; "It is the medical establishment that refuses to investigate the medical problems associated with autism, because once they do this, the causes of ASD will then become clear and they will no longer be able to use their lame excuses of `better diagnosis` (garbage) and `genetics`."

The medical community would rather focus on continual speculation and fear mongering to push their agenda of making money for research. Research to find a cure as opposed to finding the cause. Does finding a cure make sense without knowing the cause??? How can anything be prevented if the cause is not known? I don't feel that the current medical model is interested in digging deep into many illnesses, this being one of them. I don't accept that science is doing all they can do. I personally have no faith in medicinal doctors keeping me and my family healthy. Drugs (including prescription), diet, vaccines, alcohol and tobacco all have the potential to wreck havoc on the body. More research needs to be done to dig into the root of the cause.

I believe the level of reporting has become driven to sell papers and not to actually report facts that are objective. Having said that, I do not have faith that the medical profession is looking in the right direction because I question whether or not they truly want answers or they placate to the powerful drug companies that really dictate where "medicine" is going. I have chosen homeopathy to treat my family and keep them safe. It is homeopathy that has nearly cured my son's asthma that the medical community says is incurable. With the severity of his asthma and the family history, it would be irresponsible to say he has grown out of it. He has not yet hit puberty. I encourage everyone to look in to homeopathy and take your health and the health of your family into your own hands. I have.

Report Unsuitable

Whoa, back up there! First and foremost, a great many harmful substances will not cross the placenta, which acts as a barrier between mom and baby. Alcohol, unfortunately, will cross it, hence fetal alcohol syndrome.

Secondly, the effects of toxins and other substances on dads are just beginning to be understood. For example, a child is more likely to suffer cerebral palsy if dad is older, than if dad is young. Some recreational drugs are well known to affect sperm cells. So why not blame autism on dads, especially since autism is far more likely to strike boys than girls, and it is the father who determines the sex of the child? Makes at least as much sense as blaming it on the mother.

It's far more likely that autism derives from some kind of genetic damage (so that it is determined at conception) than from anything imbibed during pregnancy. But on the other hand, it's much easier to make mothers feel guilty with such a nonsense article, so keep up the good work.

"It's far more likely that autism derives from some kind of genetic damage (so that it is determined at conception) than from anything imbibed during pregnancy."

What is the basis for this statement? How do we know that the damage is not done after birth? For example, vaccines have the power to cause brain inflammation and god knows what else. How do we KNOW that this is not a factor? Talk to mothers who believe their child is normal until they are vaccinated, for example. The medical community is chasing its tail IMHO and until research is done to determine the causal effect, more and more articles like this will arise.

~45. MA, ..................................
"Charles Linskaill - numerous infantile posts - Has it occurred to you that FASD might be behind your aggressive tendencies?"
MA, 'Dinny-get-Wide' with me, or you will get 200 of my Babies, that just 'Poohed' their Nappies to contend with!!!!! :-D
.............
On a serious note though, the reason I post on Children and Baby issues, is that I do know lots on the subjects,
1. having had 2 beautiful Daughters to bring up!
2. DYW (darling young wife), works in childcare, constant subject in our life's!
3. DYW trying for a Baby (IVF problems ect)
4. Downs and Autistic children, being of key interest!
............
You have to have a sense of humour/madness, when the whole report is 'STUPID' anyhow!
I WONT 'go-away'!! :-))

My Older son (26) is mildly Autistic (Aspbergers) and his Mom isn't nor was a drinker then and now.
But he was given a MMR vaccinations with mercury in it and the Doc. also used forceps on him at the delivery.
Sounds to me like "Flagging" of the real problem. I know tyhat me' Granny twas a bit of a boozer and all 4 of her kid's were OK. But then they grew up in the depression. I'd be a boozer too!

#52
Sorry, I have re-read this article many times now and can't see where you find an indication of mischief making from NHS Ayrshire and Arran in relation to the subject of FAS.
Looking at the article, and putting aside the Scotsmans ridiculous headline and first paragraph, the doctor is talking wholly about fetal alcohol syndrome (which has a spectrum of symptoms). The only reference she makes to autism is when she says that some children currently diagnosed as autistic may not be autistic but showing symptoms of FAS. So what she is saying is that FAS is being misdiagnosed through medical ignorance. At no point in the article does she say 'autism is caused by mothers drinking during pregnancy.' Only the Scotsman did that.
I can understand the fears that people with autistic children might have that the plight of themselves and their children might be sidelined by someone elses agenda and I see what you are saying, but I think you are boxing shadows in this instance.
Fetal alcohol syndrome does exist, it is underdiagnosed, it is misdiagnosed- just the same as autistic spectrum disorder is underdiagnosed and misdiagnosed. I didn't get the sense that the doctor was saying that autism is really fetal alcohol syndrome, but I did get the sense that she was saying that fetal alcohol syndrome is not autism.

To River
Don't forget they were blameing television as well. Anything but the truth.

Great to see so many comments already. We as parents/grandparents will never giveup on our children.
In future we could tell everyone we meet when we are discussing our children/grandchildren that our children have MMR/Autism or I usually say he’s vaccine damaged,

Keep the faith and know that our visions will come through that our children will be helped no matter what.

Equal Rights for Autism, your bang on the money,and that’s what all this is to do with money and divert the blame of autism from the PHARMA Industry(real cause by vaccine damage) onto the alky business...or even refrigerated mothers (all the mothers to do with that study were doctors scientists ,dentists wife’s hardly crazy people The only thing they DID have in common the husbands all worked with mercury ????

Heard it all before ...hic..

YES A BIG APPOLOGY FROM THE SCOTSMAN DUE HERE

And no comment from the NAS - wonder why?!

The Scotsman and their journalists are cynical - ask people to cough
up cash for the NAS one week, try to duff up parents with autistic kids the
next.Yawwwwwwwwwwwnnnn!!!!

MMR RIP

Experts, experts, experts!

They contradict themselves so often with their scare stories that I now don't believe a word they say.

Oh, for pete's sake, WHY must newspapers print this kind of stuff? I started to read the article to see what it had to say about the link between autism and drinking alcohol during pregnancy, only to find out it was trotting out something that's been spoken about and known for years: too much alcohol during pregnancy causes problems in the developing child. Children with fetal alcohol syndrome potentially being misdiagnosed with autism is NOT the same as children of mothers who drink any significant amount of alcohol during pregnancy being prone to autism. Shame on The Scotsman for this kind of shoddy reporting!

no. 62

Thank you, thank you! At last somebody actually on the same wavelength, acknowledging that the label doesn't reflect the contents of the can.

It is very difficult to decipher what Dr. Watt may have said, as only one or two actual quotes are used in this article - the rest is paraphrasing and summation (of varying degrees of accuracy). Not very good journalistic practice, but one that is used where the journalist doesn't understand the information given, or how to present it.

One hopes that Dr. Watt will either post on this forum, or demand a retraction or clarification from the Scotsman, if the article is a misrepresentation of what she said.

Having said all of that, it would seem that Dr. Watt is making a claim that `up to 1 in 100` children are born with FAS, which is a higher prevalence rate than Autistic Spectrum Disorder (1 in 150 is the latest official figure). ASD is the single largest disability amongst children - more numerous than all the other disabilities put together. Without any evidence, she is claiming that one in a hundred babies suffers from FAS. Where are the research projects - other than the one she has just received funding for? Autism has been researched for over 60 years, and there are plenty of research papers to choose from. Dr. Watt may be a medical doctor (most of them know hardly anything about autism), but her researchers will be taken from the general sciences and social sciences, with experience in database management and construction. How useful is it to gather data and collate statistics in the absence of knowledge of autism or of FAS?

#62. Cheryl,
"Oh, for pete's sake, WHY must newspapers print this kind of stuff?"
.....
Cheryl, its called 'The Conditioning Process'
All-out propaganda, to have 'Complete Control' of Mothers 'to-be'
Its the start of a deviant, underhanded plan to achive the above!!
NOTHING MORE NOTHING LESS!!

The 'BaBA's Bottle will be with, Dr M Watts on monday morning, (courier service)
And she knows where, she can stick it!

Sorry Suzi ;-((

Hey you guys who think this is a rubbish report. If you read it again, you'll see that what it's really saying is that there are possibly many children with FASD who have been misdiagnosed with autism. It's also thought that there are many children with FASD who have been misdiagnosed with ADHD. To anyone with normal logic and common sense, it will be easy to understand that when a pregnant mum drinks alcohol, it passes directly into the babys' bloodstream. This tiny little baby will then very likely become drunk. FASD is really all about brain damage which manifests as behaviour problems, which are often not seen until the child reaches around age 7. FASD will be obvious in some children eg if they are born with the facial features associated with FASD (thin upper lip, absent groove between upper lip and nose, low nasal bridge, widely spaced eyes, flat midface) but these features are more noticeable between the ages of 2 and 10. Also, they will only be present if the mum drank alcohol between days 19 and 26 of the pregnancy. So it's easy to see why so many children go undiagnosed. On the other hand, because there has been very little research into FASD in the UK, there is still much ignorance surrounding it which is a far more obvious reason for why children with FASD might be misdiagnosed with autism or ADHD.
livilion (comment No25) has described what it's like living with someone with FASD to a tee. It's a lifelong sentence for both the affected person and their carers. FASD is the leading cause of mental retardation in the western world. It's 100% incurable and 100% preventable. If you are reading this and want to know more, visit this amazing website: www.fasstar.com

Oh, and also, extensive research into FASD carried out in the US and Canada has shown that even small amounts of alcohol can damage a growing foetus. If you have a child with FASD, as I do, you will start to see these children everywhere. My son didn't get his diagnosis until he was 20. I made the connection between my drinking in pregnancy and his behaviour problems when he was 17. I wrote to every GP within a 5 mile radius of where I live, and there was not one who knew anything about FASD. Don't pooh pooh this article. It is far more truthful than anything else you've been hearing lately and I would pay heed to it.

Autism is cause through the baby shots, it is a known fact, I have soken to a nurse whom has left her good paying job as she says she did not want part of killing children ! look up the baby shots, there are lots of people in Canada and the states that are refusing baby shots,DO NOT GET THE BABY SHOTS MIXED AVOID ATUISM AND IF YOU DONT BELEAVE ME CHEACK IT OUT PLEASE.

#69. Trace57, I see you point Trace, but if you go into it probably everything Mum-to-be, eats, drinks may affect the growing foetus in a negative way, depending what they eat, drink!
Lets 'face-it'...........
SO everyone of us here today, 'NEVER' had/has, a mother that never touched a drop of alcohol!
'Aye' RIGHT THEN!!

#71 Charles, what are you saying, mun!! Does this mean I have to take responsibility for the fact that middle child is no very bright because I ate a diet rich in Mars bars and Chocolate milk? I've been joking about it for years, but maybe...........

#71 Charles Linskaill. I feel really sad that you take such a flippant view. We're talking innocent unborn children here. Why risk harming them for the sake of a drink or two or more? Especially when research into the damage alcohol can do is irrefutable. I live with the consequences of what I've done to my child every single day and so does he, so does his sister, so does my husband, so does society........... PLEASE go to www.fasstar.com

If anyone wants a copy of my personal journey with FASD, I will be very happy to email you a copy.

hmmm...

#73 Trace57
The link to the website is very interesting. Thank you.
There is a general ignorance about FASD and a desperate need for raised awareness amongst the public.
For those of you who think that FASD is being overstated, think about all the F.L.K's you've seen in your life. F.L.K's? Well an F.L.K is the name that doctors and midwives use to describe babies who have dysmorphic features in the absence of an obvious syndrome. It is an acronym for 'Funny Looking Kid' but with better education, people might recognise that some of these 'F.L.K's' are babies born with FASD. Of course, most times a quick glance at the parents reveals funny looking parents, but for the rest, well, raised awareness would help.

~73. Trace, you have me summed up Very, Very Wrong indeed!
I am the first one to take the unborn child as VERY,VERY, VERY, VERY, VERY IMORTANT!!!!!
Maybe you failed to have read my post #56
Maybe you failed to have read my posts on abortion!
Babies as far as I am concerned, are a Baby from conception.
But lets put it another way, you are saying a 'teaspoon' of alcohol will affect a foetus??
Like this report I say this is 'nonsense'!!
I don't believe an occasional 'glass of wine' ever hurt the Baby to be, if Mummy had one and I am sure our mothers, granny, great granny, were not all alchohol free when pregnant!
Just the other day in this Paper it said it was ok to have a glass or two, I will find it and pin it on here in a mo!
Suzi B, I will get back to you also! dont go away! :-)

#77.Thank you, Suzi. Sometimes you can feel very alone in the world of FASD. One of the things that frustrated me most when trying to get my son diagnosed was that no-one believed me.
For those of you in Scotland, I hear rumour of a FASD conference being held in the New Year in Newcastle. There are certainly people here who would benefit from attending. (And I mean that in the nicest way possible.)

#76 Digory.
Wikipedia is not exactly the best source for information but if you go to Wikipedia and type in 'Bacillus Calmette-Guérin' it will give you the gist of why it isn't routinely given in the UK without all the medical blurb.

Found it!! take a look Trace57, I was Soo annoyed at this my comment at #4 was removed!
It proved I do take the unborn seriously!
......
http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/health.cfm?id=1800922007

#78. Ok Charles, I understand what you're saying but there are many women who will have one or two drinks and then think one more won't hurt. There are also the women who may have FASD themselves (or some other problem associated with learning difficulties) who simply don't understand the difference between 1 or 2 drinks. And there will be other women who will drink because they are depressed or generally just using alcohol as a coping mechanism and feel 'stuck' in their behaviour. It is far more responsible to send out the message that no alcohol is best for your baby because that is what people will remember. I am finding it difficult to understand why there is such an aggressive response to the whole issue of alcohol and pregnancy. It's only abstinence for 9 months for goodness sake.At least you can be sure then that if your baby is born with a problem, it won't have been alcohol that caused it. I prefer to research the evidence than listen to the very ambiguous advice that women in the UK are currently receiving.

Trace57, the other point you don't know, is my wife's birth mother drunk to excess while pregnant and died from sclerosis of the liver.
I live with the one I love very much that suffers the consequence's of FASD

~72. Suzi B, NO Suzs! what I am saying that excessive eating or drinking while pregnant could harm the unborn Baby,
Say you were a 'Fizzy Drink Freak', and drunk gallons of the stuff, week after week after week, I am quite sure the chemicals in these drinks would do harm to BaBa also!!

#81. Yes, Charles, I am familiar with the article. I was interviewed on Channel 5 the same day it was published. Unfortunately, the interview lasted about 2 minutes and , as usual, my nerves got the better of me and I never got to say what I wanted to say because my heart stopped hammering just as they were leading me off!! I am far better at writing stuff down than speaking in public but I do it anyway because I believe I have a powerful message to convey. Again, I say, research the evidence for yourself.

~82. Trace57,
" I am finding it difficult to understand why there is such an aggressive response to the whole issue of alcohol and pregnancy"
The reason is to your quote above, is that we do care, but there always more to what we are being told as in 'Political Correctness' and people dont trust the Authorities anymore!

Why why why, would you drink even a little. There's no denying it's a poison to your baby. Everthing you can do to ensure your child may develop to his or her potential, to be free of mental, emotional, physical and learning impairments, why wouldn't you want to.

I've an adopted child who looks normal but has struggled immensely with learning, emtional, memory and social difficulties. She has damage to the frontal lobes of her brain which makes it hard for her to learn from her mistakes, to learn social cues, to control impulses, and quite frankly, the list goes on. She looks normal so people expect her to be so.

Who's to say that your child who gets into too many fights or who has dyslexia or ADHD didn't get that from his parent's occasional drink. Yes, I know, who's to say that that is where it came from. Why would you want to risk it?

Apparently, her mom thought a little drinking was no big deal too.

~85. Trace57, read #83 again, I know only to well the problems Alcohol during pregnancy brings!

#83. Thank you for sharing that with me, Charles. Your partner is very lucky to have found someone to love her and look after her. You must surely know that more men with FASD find women to look after them than women with FASD find men. But........you should also know better than to accept that a drink or 2 is ok because you also probably know that there are other factors involved where FASD is concerned eg genetics, diet, smoking, drugs etc, all of which can affect whether a baby is born with FASD or not. No alcohol = no risk.

#86. Of course no-one trusts the Authorities anymore and who can blame us? I am a great conspiracy theorist myself and I agree we live in a 'political correctness' world gone mad. Just watch, it's going to get far, far worse. And yes, of course it's all about control. We are a complacent country, the government has got everyone so busy busy or hooked on drugs, that no-one has the time or is too spaced out to look at what is really going on and fight for justice. A really good thing that has come out of my son having FASD is that I had to take stock of my life and got off the treadmill because he needed me at home. It was one of the better decisions I made in my life. I've learned to take time out for myself and relax, something I hadn't ever done, I think. Of course, it meant taking a huge drop in income but it's more a case of getting priorities right and being at peace with myself.

~89. Trace57, recipicated, thank you for sharing your story.
It is difficult at times because a suffer of FASD also suffers constantly from knowing they are slow learners, they feel inadequate etc.
It takes great love and understanding and patience to help them.

Charles, I admire you for doing what you do. I know how hard it is. My son has taught me so much about unconditional love, patience, tolerance and pure and simple loving kindness. He cannot forgive me for what I have done to his life,he is so dependent on my husband and me, even his 16 yr old sister. But I have a good network of friends with FASD children and we turn to each other for help and encouragement. We also have suppport groups that I come away from feeling really inspired and fired-up because FASD is something I feel very passionately about. I have enjoyed talking to you. But I'm going to my beddy byes now because I'm tired. Goodnight.

~92. Trace57, Goodnight, I am sure we will talk again.

Hooey!

My sister is a tee-totaler and she has an autistic son.

#70

You are right. My nephew was fine before his shots, and then he started having symptoms.

#94
Yep, over the last 93 posts we established that autism is not linked to fetal alcohol syndrome.
More pertinently, was her son vaccinated with MMR?

The government also says that Tourette Syndrome has nothing to do with agent orange, but there many veterans out there--including my husband-- who disagree. Our older child has a more severe case, bur only moderate, thank God!, and he was born 8 years after the exposure. Our other child was born 7 years later and has only a slight case.

There are many things about drugs, chemicals, food additives, and gm food, etc., that our governments prefer not to disclose to us. Some rich person might lose money and that would mean political disaster to someone--many someones.

#96

Yes.

Newer video studies are showing up signs of autism at a much earlier age-as young as 6 months, long before the MMR is given. 2 of my work mates have autistic children and both were expressing concerns about their children in the first year of their life- Mostly non-interaction and not responding to smiles, and also both were extremely irritated babies. They knew their children had something serious going on long before decisions about MMR were taken. One didn't have her child vaccinated because of all the conflicting research. He was diagnosed officially with autism when he was 3. If lay people with autistic children find it hard getting a diagnosis and recognition for their child, try being a nurse, because many doctors don't take them seriously. One of my colleagues was almost accused of having Munchausens by proxy because she hounded the medical profession so hard for a diagnosis. She knew she needed to get early intervention to help her child, but the reaction she got from doctors was that she needed the help, not the child. They were partly right, because by the end of all the fighting, she really did need help for herself because she was going under fast.

I don't understand the outrage. It only makes sense that Alcohol, tobacco and caffiene (please excuse any spellige errors) , all "recreational drugs", could Very Well have an influence on the development of a fetus, and it would be best to abstain from these drugs during pregnancy.
Why would Anyone want to take such chances with her unborn child?????????; I wouldn't!

The outrage is precisely because of the accusations that continue to be made against mothers of children with autism that they are abusing their children - all the way up to accusations of Munchausen's Syndrome by Proxy (MSBP). Please read the Autism Rights Briefing Paper if you are sceptical:-
http://www.autismrights.org.uk/BriefingPaperIndex.html
and weblinked references -
http://www.autismrights.org.uk/AttachmentDisorderVictimis...

This treatment of our families is to deny provision of appropriate services and to at least forestall or remove the costs of those services, and to force families even to take on such basic services as school education.

If people are not going to take account of what parents like myself have written, and the points we make, then they are never going to understand what is going on here. The Scotsman's headline is one thing - the RAD research referred to in the Briefing Paper. the links made with MSBP and now the clear link being made with FAS are all symptomatic of official denial of the numbers of children presenting with Autistic Spectrum Disorder, and consequent denial of services to these children and their families.

I repeat, we are not saying that FAS does not exist, and we would certainly encourage pregnant women to avoid consumption of alcohol, as I did when I was pregnant with my autistic child.

However, drinking 2 to 3 BOTTLES of wine every weekend is absolutely reckless - but it is not this level of consumption that is being talked about here. Claims are being made that drinking any alcohol at all can cause FAS - and there is no research to back this up.

There is a claim being made in this article, that children who are autistic are not really so - they are actually suffering from FAS -
QUOTE<

Editorial standards aint what they were. This is the latest in a series of (mis)leading stories from the Hootsmon where the content doesn't begin to justify the headline.

The insensitivity and crass stupidity that have come together to form such an ill-informed article are monumental. Well done the Scotsman for linking up a journalist needing a scoop, an academic needing funding and an editor who can't be bothered. You've also managed to set back your own autism campaign while you were at it.

I'm going back to the Herald for sanity and balance.

#101 Equal rights

There is plenty of research to back up the fact that low level drinking can lead to FASD.
What you are saying here about the research into FASD, people are saying about the research linking autism to MMR vaccination. How fair is that?
That autism and FASD are underdiagnosed and misdiagnosed is undeniable, but what are you really saying here? You quote Susan Fleisher who says, and I am paraphrasing, that in her experience many children who are subsequently found to have FASD are initially misdiagnosed as autistic. Did she say 'in our experience a lot of autistic children are found to be suffering from FASD.' No she didn't.
If you are autistic, then you are autistic. If someone gets a diagnosis of being autistic and is subsequently found to be suffering from FASD, the medical fraternity isn't stealing an autistic child from the figures, they are adding a child to the FASD figures. And it makes no difference which basket they fall into, the child still has to be cared for and services provided. I'm not sure how you could think that anyone could think otherwise, unless you believe that the slice of the funding pie that you are fighting so hard for might be less forthcoming if people start to believe(falsely) that autism is caused by alcohol intake in pregnancy? If that is what you are saying, and I hope I'm wrong, then you are projecting the belief that people would be less sympathetic and less likely to put funding your way if they thought that it was a self inflicted(or mother inflicted) disorder. I hope I am wrong, because that is monstrously judgemental. What keeps coming up in my mind here when reading your posts on this thread is the saying 'you don't have to blow out my candle to make yours shine more brightly.' It isn't a competition for resources, although it must feel like that at times.
Please don't get me wrong, I have enormous sympathy and understanding about what it is like to be the parent of a disabled chi

I was going to write something pretty much along the same lines but I'm not sure I could have put it quite so eloquently.
Here is a link to a site which should provide the evidence for all those unbelievers:

www.niaaa.nih.gov

This is the website for the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

FASD is the leading known cause of mental retardation in western civilisation, as quoted by the NIAA, Eighth Special Report, NIH Publication No 94-3699

Most individuals with FAS have normal intelligence.

FAS causes serious social and behavioural problems.

Alcohol causes more damage to the developing foetus than any other substance, including marijuana, heroin and cocaine. (Institute of Medicine 1996).

People with FAS get punished for their disability. Because they look normal, they are punished for being lazy, stubborn and defiant. The reality is that they can't remember, they can't understand and they can't explain.
When children get the diagnosis too late, they are likely to be excluded frm school, run away, become homeless, become victims of violence and abuse, have drug/alcohol problems, end up in prison or commit suicide.

The most serious characteristics of FAS are the invisible symptoms of neurological damage resulting from prenatal exposure. These include:
Attention deficits
Memory deficits
Hyperactivity
Difficulty with maths, time, money
Poor problem solving skills
Difficulty learning from consequences
Poor judgement
Immature behaviour
Poor impulse control

The affected person's ability to control behaviour is erratic and inconsistent. One day they can function in a reasonable manner. The next day (or the next moment) they may be out of control, inappropriate, immature, forgetful, impulsive, and make unwise choices.

I know mums' who drank far less than I did and their children all hav

I didn't drink, etc., and had two TS kids. Or rather, I had ONE glass of wine before I knew I was pregnant for the first. It was a celebration of some other occasion. Since I had "the flu" for 6 weeks before they realized it was really pregnency, it could have even been before conception.

#106 Digory.
Trace57 is quite right when she says that some women don't know the difference between one and two drinks. I think I am a reasonably bright person but I didn't realise that a standard measure of wine isn't the same as a glass of wine until fairly recently when I actually went to the bother of measuring the wine into my glass. I was shocked to discover that my average size wine glasses hold two standard measures of wine because I would always have said that I had only had one drink.
There isn't a guaranteed safe level of alcohol that women can drink when they are pregnant so unfortunately, harsh though it may be, it is a case of 'yer pays yer money, yer takes yer chance.'
To answer the last part of your question, how do women prove they did not drink in their pregnancy if somebody arbitrarily decides that this is the cause of some problem. They don't have to 'prove' anything, diagnosis isn't a blame game. Of course, if people want to get appropriate care for their child they will be honest about their past so that doctors will be able to find the correct diagnosis and not end up diagnosing their child with ASD or ADHD, if they in fact are sffering from FASD, which is the central tenet of this article-that children with FASD are misdiagnosed due to the ignorance or lack of education of health professionals.
Did you find the answer to the BCG vaccination question you asked, by the way?

Perhaps you would care to revise the unsubstantiated statement that `Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder is the leading cause of mental retardation in the western world`, and that 1 in 100 children suffer from this `disorder`, in the light of some real research that links environmental toxins to learning disabilities and behavioural problems:-

http://www.pptox.dk/Programme/tabid/68/Default.aspx

Although FAS is most strongly linked to alcohol comsumption during pregnancy, it is also strongly linked to exposure to toluene and has good links to other chemical solvents:-
http://database.healthandenvironment.org/index.cfm?id=772

The existence of FAS is not in dispute, the existence of FASD most certainly is - until we see some evidence - links to peer-reviewed research would be well received. Some information about levels of consumption relative to risk for FASD would an idea, too. Is it 10 units of alcohol over the course of a pregnancy, or 3 units per week, or what?

Lots of children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders have faces that look `different` - but not those that identify FAS. The features of FAS listed above can all be found within the autistic spectrum. So, how does a diagnostician tell them apart, particularly when there is official pressure to keep the statistics for autism as low as is possible?

Politics infests public health policy, every bit as much as it does educational policy. Whilst services for children and adults with autism are inappropriate to non-existent, while diagnosticians continue to misdiagnose autism as ADHD and anything else they can think of, and whilst diagnosis is still wholly dependent on observation of the child's behaviour, rather than medical tests for the presence of environmental toxins, we will have to exercise great scepticism as

#106
I believe it is unfair NOT to inform women of the risks. Do you not think that these same women who would be worrying about it would have even been drinking in the first place if they'd had the proper info? From my experience, women who are correctly informed will choose not to drink at all.

There is a 4 digit diagnostic code that is used for diagnosing FASD. This code can be accessed at www.bma.org.uk/ by clicking on 'Science and Health Promotion', then clicking again on Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. Only a trained professional is able to correctly diagnose FASD.

#109
I do apologise. The statement should have read: 'Foetal Alcohol Syndrome is the leading cause of non-genetic mental retardation in the western world'
You say:
'Although FAS is most strongly linked to alcohol comsumption during pregnancy, it is also strongly linked to exposure to toluene and has good links to other chemical solvents:-'
I say:
There is absolutely no way that FAS can be linked to toluene or other chemical solvents. FAS stands for Foetal Alcohol Syndrome, as you must surely realise and it is alcohol that causes the syndrome, not toluene or other chemical solvents.
You say:
'The existence of FAS is not in dispute, the existence of FASD most certainly is -'
I say:
FASD stands for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. This is not a diagnostic term, but is an umbrella term that encompasses all disabilities caused by prenatal exposure to alcohol. There are five diagnoses under the FASD umbrella:
• Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) with confirmed prenatal alcohol exposure
• Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) without confirmed prenatal alcohol exposure
• Partial Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (pFAS)
• Alcohol Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder (ARND)
• Alcohol Related Birth Defects (ARBD)
Consensus statement on the term FASD is available from NOFAS: http://www.nofas.org/advocate/terminology.aspx

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is a group of symptoms seen in children who were exposed to alcohol before birth. Full FAS is characterized by:
• Growth deficiency, with height or weight below the 10th percentile
• Facial characteristics: small eyes, smooth philtrum, and thin upper lip
• Central nervous system damage (structural, neurological, and/or functional impairment).
Partial FAS (pFAS) is a diagnostic classification for patients who present wit

Fetal Alcohol Effects (FAE) is a term that is no longer used. FAE generally refers to diagnoses other than full FAS. The term Fetal Alcohol Effects means about the same as the term Alcohol Related Neurodevelopmental Disorders.
Research shows that alcohol damage to the developing baby can cause a wide range of disabilities. Damage varies due to volume of alcohol ingested, timing during pregnancy, blood alcohol levels, genetics and environmental factors. At the mild end, damage may be the loss of some intellectual functioning (IQ), attention deficit disorder, hearing and visual problems, and higher than normal pain tolerance.

At the severe end, damage may be severe loss of intellectual potential, severe vision problems, dyslexia, serious maxilo-facial deformities, dental abnormalities, heart defects, immune system malfunctioning, behavioral problems, attention deficit disorders, hyperactivity, extreme impulsiveness, poor judgment, difficulty with memory retention and retrieval, hearing disorders, little or no capacity for moral judgment or interpersonal empathy, sociopathic behavior, epilepsy, tremors, cerebral palsy, renal failure, heart failure, death.

Researchers have found a link between maternal alcohol use and sudden infant death syndrome.

As I said in post #110, please go to the website of the British Medical Association (www.bma.ork.uk/) to understand how FASD is diagnosed.

Pregnant women have been advised for many years not to drink alcohol, or to severely restrict their consumption of alcohol.It has never been seen as good for them or their babies.

This describes a recent review of the scientific literature:-  
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/88800.php - EXCERPT
The evidence that binge drinking during pregnancy harms the developing fetus is very limited, according to an article published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health (BMJ). There is clearer evidence that regular heavy drinking during the pregnancy is linked to a higher risk of birth defects. However, what impact binge drinking might have, without heavy regular drinking, is unclear, write the authors.

 "Systematic review of the fetal effects of prenatal binge drinking"
 Jane Henderson, Ulrik Kesmodel, Ron Gray
 J Epidemiol Community Health 2007; 61: 1069-75
 doi:10.1136/jech.2006.054213

#113
Taken from 'Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders - A Guide for healthcare professionals. Published by the
BMA June 2007.

'Is there a safe level of exposure to alcohol during pregnancy?

The damage caused by alcohol on the developing fetus is dependent on the level of maternal alcohol consumption, the pattern of alcohol exposure and the stage of pregnancy during which alcohol is consumed. This is confounded by a number of other risk factors including the genetic make up of the mother and the fetus, the nutritional status of the mother, hormonal interactions, polydrug use (including tobacco use), general health of the mother, stress, maternal age and low socioeconomic status. For example, research to identify specific genetic factors contributing to FASD has found that polymorphisms of the gene for the alcohol dehydrogenase enzyme ADH 1B in both the mother and the fetus, can contribute to FASD vulnerability.

There is robust and consistent evidence from human and animal studies that heavy maternal alcohol use is associated with FAS. This is particularly apparent in cases of alcohol dependence or severe alcohol problems; however, only four to five per cent of children born to women who consumed large amounts of alcohol during pregnancy are affected by the full syndrome presentation. The pattern and duration of drinking are important considerations in defining the risk of heavy drinking during pregnancy. The occurence of FAS has been found to be associated with the frequency of heavy dose drinking (i.e. binge-drinking). Women who binge drink are much more likely to have children with facial dysmorphology, cardiac anomalies or cognitive impairment than women who drink the same total amount of alcohol over an extended period time.'

Light Drinking During Pregnancy Can Lead to Behavioral Problems Later
Updated: Tue, Aug 07 11:03 AM EDT

By Keith Mulvihill

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Children whose mother consumed even a small amount of alcohol during pregnancy may be at increased risk of behavioral problems later in life, according to the results of a new study.

Compared with teetotalers, women who drank the equivalent of one cocktail a week during pregnancy were three times more likely to have a child diagnosed with behavioral problems, researchers report.

"This study shows that adverse effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on childhood behavior are seen at lower levels of exposure than previously reported," said co-author Dr. Virginia Delaney-Black, of Children's Hospital of Michigan, in an interview with Reuters Health.

Delaney-Black, Dr. Beena Sood of Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, and colleagues report their findings in the August issue of the journal Pediatrics.

In the study, 506 women receiving prenatal care at an urban university hospital answered questions about their alcohol consumption throughout their pregnancy. The women were contacted again when their children were between 6 and 7 years of age and agreed to have their children tested for behavioral problems.

The investigators found that maternal alcohol consumption in pregnancy was linked to behavioral problems in children such as aggression, delinquent behavior and attention problems.

"Significantly, children with low levels of prenatal alcohol exposure--equivalent to an average of one cocktail per week across pregnancy--were three times as likely to have delinquent behavior scores in the clinical range," Delaney-Black told Reuters Health. This was true after the researchers took into account other factors that can influence a child's behavior.

Alcohol consumption during pregnancy can cause fetal alcohol syndrome. Symptoms of th

Title: Social Drinking During Pregnancy Risks Infant Health
URL: http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/404DE.htm
Doctor's Guide
October 28, 1997

MADISON, WI. -- October 28, 1997 -- A study conducted at the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Harlow Primate Laboratory demonstrates for the first time in a laboratory setting that even moderate drinking can harm infant development.

Results of the study, published in the October issue of the journal Child Development, show moderate exposure to alcohol in pregnant rhesus monkeys produced a number of deficits in the infants, including reduced motor skills, shorter attention span and increased drowsiness. Moreover, a combination of alcohol and mild psychological stress on the pregnant mothers compounded some of the symptoms.

Mary Schneider, a UW-Madison occupational therapy professor and principal investigator of the study, said the study is the first attempt to look at the potential health effects of social drinking during pregnancy, using both a controlled laboratory setting and species very close to humans.

Previous studies involving humans reached similar conclusions, but could not factor out other variables, such as environment, other drug use and socio-economic status, that affect infant health, she explained.

Most research has focused on fetal alcohol syndrome, a lifelong condition that can cause mental retardation and other behavioral and learning problems. That condition stems from excessive drinking during pregnancy, but Schneider said her study shows the risks are not limited to problem drinkers.

"It seems to contradict a common assumption that 'anything in moderation' is fine," she said. "We hope that doctors and educators will take this to heart and further encourage women to limit alcohol and minimize stress during pregnancy."

The study included 33 pregnant rhesus monkeys t

Alcohol Abused
As Drinking During Pregnancy Continues, Researchers Find Reasons For Greater Alarm
By HILARY WALDMAN
Courant Staff Writer

October 14 2002

But he said unto me, Behold, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and now drink no wine nor strong drink, neither eat any unclean thing: for the child shall be a Nazarite to God from the womb to the day of his death.

- Judges: 13:7

Sharon Kozaczka did not need a picture of her adopted son Matthew's brain to tell her that his mental retardation, his incessant spinning, his inability to put on his own socks or ride a two-wheeler were caused by his birth mother's alcoholic binges during pregnancy.

Nobody did.

Matthew Kozaczka wears the face of fetal alcohol syndrome. The Suffield 14-year-old was born with the constellation of facial abnormalities that researchers discovered 30 years ago could be caused by only one thing: maternal drinking.

But despite the centuries-old Biblical warning against drinking during pregnancy and three decades after the damage was given a name, researchers now are discovering that many more people without the signature facial features are affected, and they are pinpointing just where the profound brain damage occurs.

"The bottom line is that maybe 8,000 kids a year are born with fetal alcohol syndrome," said Edward P. Riley, chairman of the National Task Force on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effect.

"But there may be 80,000 born who [have the effects but] do not have the face," said Riley, a psychologist and fetal alcohol researcher at San Diego State University. "We've got to identify these kids and get them into treatment."

People with fetal alcohol exposure, regardless of their IQ or facial structures, are more likely to wind up in jail, be unable to hold jobs, abuse drugs or alcohol, or have other mental health issues, research has shown.

The problem, Riley and oth

Smaller Brain Structures

Using advanced methods of magnetic resonance imaging, researchers have discovered how the brains of confirmed victims such as Matthew have been damaged by alcohol exposure during fetal development.

Sarah Mattson, a neuropsychologist who works with Riley at San Diego State, has found that four parts of the brain are smaller than average in children with confirmed exposure to alcohol during fetal development.

The smaller areas seem to correspond with intellectual and behavioral deficits exhibited by people with fetal alcohol syndrome, but Mattson acknowledges that no correlation has been proved yet.

One affected area of the brain, the basal ganglia, is a group of nerve cell clusters involved in the ability to shift from one task to another. Inhibition of inappropriate behavior and spatial memory also are governed by this area of the brain.

The corpus callosum, which allows the right and left hemispheres of the brain to communicate, also appears to be affected. Corpus callosum deficits have been linked to problems with intellect, attention, reading and other higher levels of learning.

Motor skills and balance originate in the cerebellum, which also is smaller in people with fetal alcohol syndrome, while a smaller hippocampus deep inside the brain, may be linked to memory problems.

"What do these changes in the brain mean as far as functioning?" Mattson asked. "That's a huge question."

An MRI of Matthew Kozaczka's brain at the University of Connecticut Health Center revealed that his entire corpus callosum is missing.

Kathryn Grant, a researcher at UConn who is also doing MRI studies, said such information might eventually help to tailor services to address the specific strengths and weaknesses of children exposed to alcohol.

"Right now these children are treated in any variety of ways that are largely inappropriate," said Grant.

One of the biggest

The First 12 Weeks

Because the brain develops during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, before some women realize they are pregnant, even conscientious women can unknowingly damage their babies.

While drinking during pregnancy has declined steadily as doctors and others have warned against any alcohol use, there remains a stubborn proportion of women - about 2 percent - who continue to drink frequently or go on binges during pregnancy. Large concentrations of alcohol appear to most seriously damage a fetus. More than seven drinks a week is considered frequent drinking, and consuming five or more drinks on one occasion is a binge, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, part of the National Institutes of Health, is sponsoring research on how alcohol interrupts development of the fetal nervous system. Researchers also have recently identified two molecules that can protect a fetus from alcohol's devastating effects.

"If we can identify substances that can prevent birth defects in mothers who drink, maybe we can develop medications," said Dr. Michael E. Charness, chief of neurology at the VA Boston Healthcare System.

Kenneth Warren, director of the office of scientific affairs for the NIAAA, said it's also crucial to identify the invisible victims. He said advances in neurobehavioral testing and brain imaging could result in guidelines that would be used to identify fetal alcohol syndrome, with or without facial characteristics or a known history of maternal drinking.

Nobody expects people who are damaged to be cured. But a better understanding of their unique behavior problems could lead to better strategies for helping them cope. Warren noted that a new federal task force on fetal alcohol syndrome published its first recommendations last month and that a special unit of the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration had

Although IQ tests showed that he is extremely mentally retarded, Matthew is charming and speaks well. He can sit for an hour reading Gray's Anatomy and appear to devour every word and diagram, but, says his mother, he does not understand a single thing.

His appearance of mental competency has made it difficult for Kozaczka to get Matthew the help he needs. She said the image of his damaged brain has helped her persuade school officials that he has serious mental health and special education needs.

But, said Grant, more commonly the brain of a child with fetal alcohol syndrome will appear roughly normal, just smaller than average. The child will be short and skinny, but that can be said of a lot of children.

"To identify kids has been a difficult task," said Kozaczka, explaining why she allowed Matthew to participate in Grant's research. She said that with intensive work, Matthew has come a long way and now can swim, ride a bike and attends high school with the help of special education classes and an aide to accompany him.

But, she said, none of this ever should have happened to him. Fetal alcohol syndrome is the leading preventable cause of mental retardation in the United States.

"My feeling is if one person is going to stop drinking," Kozaczka said, "it would be wonderful."

Grant is seeking children with fetal alcohol syndrome and a group of normal children for comparison to participate in her study. For information call 860-679-4680.

Families raising children with fetal alcohol syndrome can find support from the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Family Resource Institute on the web at www.fetalalcoholsyndrome.org.
Copyright 2002, Hartford Courant

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Trace57! Whew and you thought you weren't eloquent!
I think you win! Now you will need to get some Arnica for your painful and bruised typing fingers!
You have done your best to educate people about FASD and if they remain unconvinced then I would suggest they have a different agenda and won't be swayed anyway. Good luck to you in the future.

"Expert Links Autism to Mother Drinking" I agree the title of the article is totally misleading to the content of the article. Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder is a combination of behavioural, memory problems and poor life skills. When a woman drinks the alcohol stays in her blood for 12 hours but it stays in the baby's blood for 72 hours as the baby doesn't have a liver to filter the alcohol. We are not here to scare women - only to give them knowledge. We have many calls from parents, carers and those affected with the disorder looking for advice and information on our support group. If you have any concerns please contact NOFAS-UK's helpline on 08 700 333 700 or visit our website nofas-uk.org.

#121
Suzi B. You gave me a good giggle .Wish I could take the credit for all that but most of it was copied and pasted from various website articles! But I was getting so frustrated with some of the comments here that I thought I'd let rip and give 'em all something to really get their teeth into!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Let's hope it's done some good.

#121
Suzi B. Just want to say I felt very supported by you during this crusade!!!! Thank you.

#124 Trace57.
I know a little about a lot of things but I am glad I now know a lot more about FASD:-)

I cannot believe any of you would seriously condone or even acquiesce to ANY drinking with an unborn child. If you're not responsible enough to abstain don't get pregnant or abort.