Smoking Moms Risk Psychotic Offspring

[Sonnet]

Moderate drinking and cannabis use, interestingly, don't pose the same risk.

http://www.babycenter.com/204_moms-t...6:5&pe=2UyCjLU

[Traceround]

Maybe it doesn't lead to psychosis in kids but alchohol is bad news period. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effect are not something to toy with.

I don't know enough about cannabis to comment.

[Sonnet]

You know, though, I've never seen a documentary on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome that started with 'Billy's mother drank a glass of wine with dinner a couple of times a week, and now Billy will never be the same.' There's plenty of research that suggests that moderate, reasonable alcohol intake doesn't harm anything, blocks oxytocin, thereby perhaps preventing some miscarriages, and has a beneficial effect on the cognitive skills of the children in question when they turn 6 or so.

[Traceround]

There is even more evidence that proves learning disabilities and other cognitive delays.

There is no "known" safe level. At least not for the first trimester when the fetus is so much more vunerable. Not to say that a glass of wine with dinner a few times a week is truly harmful, just that for my personal comfort level, I would err on the side of caution. Simply put, we don't know and there is no ethical way to do a real double blind study on humans to find that mythical "safe" level of alcohol.

I don't know if I would be able to forgive myself if something went wrong because of something that I willfully chose to put in my body not being safe for the baby.

[Red Sonja]

That can be a really heated topic, I know there are moms on this board that have very different comfort levels on that subject.

[Sonnet]

It seems like it's important to try not to introduce much that you don't need during the first trimester for safety's sake. Most of the articles I've read that condone light to moderate alcohol intake mention the second and third trimesters, not the first.

Most of the learning disabilities and cognitive delays I've read about aren't associated with glass-of-wine-with-dinner-type drinking, but with serious alcohol abuse. I frankly find it more disturbing that antidepressants of any sort would be considered safe when they've only been around for a few years. We've had wine for millennia.

[Traceround]

I work in the special education field. I see a lot of children with numerous issues that have resulted from alcohol exposure in utero. Granted, I don't know if any of the mothers were doing the glass of wine with dinner deal or hardcore beer pounding.

That said, for some reason right now, beer smells really REALLY good. I hate beer normally but the smell is intoxicating to me (no pun intended).

I agree with you on the antidepressants. I've got a good understanding of the chemistry involved in how and why they work in the brain but I just don't know enough about their safety and if they pass the placental barrier or not. I'm glad that it isn't an issue I need to worry about in this pregancy.

I am worried about my asthma medications though. When my asthma flares (as it does often in the winter) I get very ill. My doctor tells me that the albuterol in my inhalor and nebulizor are safer for the baby than me not breathing.

[Pinoikoi]

Originally Posted by Traceround

I work in the special education field. I see a lot of children with numerous issues that have resulted from alcohol exposure in utero. Granted, I don't know if any of the mothers were doing the glass of wine with dinner deal or hardcore beer pounding.

Me too. Well, I'm a teacher, and I totally understand your point.

I avoid LOTS of things while pregnant... but then I don't partake of most things normally anyway... I haven't had alcohol of any kind except last spring I had a mimosa, but before that I hadn't drank in about 3 or 4 years as I deal with depression (again several losses)... I avoid caffeine (although I don't nix it all together) and I never smoke anything.. I have asthma and I often worry about the steroids in my inhaler, but it is seasonal at best and I can go long periods without needing it... like months. I am hoping I won't need it at all while pregnant, but it is a question for my OB since I didn't have diagnosed asthma with my previous successful pregnancies.

My last successful pregnancy I was on antibiotics the entire time. It sucked, but I have kidney/UTI issues and my OB was afraid another kidney infection would start a miscarriage..

So I guess my point is- I already deal with so many things that I CAN'T help- I mean, if I have an asthma attack, I NEED my inhaler to breathe, that I avoid EVERYTHING else that I can..

[Traceround]

I'm also asthmatic and mine gets worse during the winter. If I get a cold, I have bronchitis for weeks. If I get the flu, I get pneumonia (which is currently terrifying me in the wake of all the flu stuff going on).

My doctor told me that the risks to the fetus from my asthma meds are way far less of a problem than if I stopped breathing. I can certainly see that being the case. Breathing trumps not breathing any day.

[Pinoikoi]

Originally Posted by Traceround

I'm also asthmatic and mine gets worse during the winter. If I get a cold, I have bronchitis for weeks. If I get the flu, I get pneumonia (which is currently terrifying me in the wake of all the flu stuff going on).

My doctor told me that the risks to the fetus from my asthma meds are way far less of a problem than if I stopped breathing. I can certainly see that being the case. Breathing trumps not breathing any day.

I am lucky in that I have never had pneumonia, but I have had bronchitis... my asthma is some wheezing but mainly lots and lots of coughing.. I haven't actually ever stopped breathing, but sometimes I can't stop coughing.. Mine is pretty seasonal as well, but thankfully we usually have snow by Halloween, so the dead leaves shouldn't bother me too much longer... then I will just have to deal in the Spring after breakup... so I guess I am pretty lucky really.