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In determining whether or not it is "ok" to drink while pregnant, the definition of "ok" needs to be considered.

Will having an occasional glass of wine cause major problems for the developing fetus? Probably not. Women who have done more than drink the occasional glass of wine have had babies that appear to fine.

By "ok", do we mean that the line between where Fetal Alcohol Syndrome will and won't occur will not be crossed and so a baby not born with FAS means drinking is "ok"?

By "ok", do we mean that when expectant mothers don't take in only 100%, good-nutrition-based, foods and beverages the baby won't be healthy?

If any of the above connotations of "ok" are what is being used then, I suppose, the answer is it can be "ok" to drink while pregnant.

A more important question, though, is what, on Earth, would make drinking alcoholic beverages more important to an expectant mother than her developing baby? Why would an expectant mother even want to take the chance and drink alcohol? If a mother is not an alcoholic the choice to request no vodka in her pre-dinner bloody mary shouldn't be a big deal. If a mother is an alcoholic then, clearly, her addiction is likely to result in Fetal Alcohol Syndrome or other problems for her baby. If an expectant mother is accustomed to using a glass of wine to calm down frazzled nerves its fairly easy to find other ways to accomplish the same thing - even if that's just switching from using wine to using milk or cheese or tuna. There are foods (high-fat foods/drinks) that can be calming.

Medical opinions differ on whether or not small amounts of alcohol may harm the fetus . "Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder" is used to describe the range of possible negative affects on the fetus, even if the effects don't result in Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. It is believed that the amount of alcohol that may affect an individual fetus may vary and may depend on things such as the stage of pregnancy, the mother's weight and other physical conditions, and the mother's overall habits. One fetus may be more vulnerable than another as well.

If we ask whether it is "the end of the World" if an expectant mother has a few glasses of wine between conception and delivery the answer is most likely "no". If we ask whether it is "ok" for an expectant mother to choose to take what may be a tiny but real risk to her baby over choosing not to, many people would say there's something very "Not OK" about that.

Learn more about this author, Lisa H Warren.
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