Alcohol, women and pregnancy( this case because it allows researchers...)

this case because it allows researchers to carry out sophisticated neurobehavioral tests, comparable to tests used in humans, to see what the effects of alcohol are. Another important aspect concerns the moderate levels of alcohol exposure. There are very few physical problems in these animals, you don't see deficits in growth, and yet functionally they're not normal. This finding probably has relevance for a more substantial percentage of the population. The third aspect is one of timing. I think it's really critical to know when alcohol has its effects on fetal brain development because this gives us clues as to how and why these effects occur. Finally, the data from this study clearly separate early exposure from continuous exposure. This relates back to the advantages of animal research, where you can target drinking to specific times during pregnancy instead of asking people to self report on their drinking behavior."

For Schneider, the study's findings have a clear message. "Women of childbearing age should abstain from consuming alcohol if they are considering pregnancy," she said.

Weinberg concurs. "We need to see more education for both the general public and physicians about the fact that alcohol can be harmful," she said, "and that we really don't know what a safe level of drinking during pregnancy would be. Although the public is now more aware of FAS, they know much less about the more subtle effects that alcohol can have on a developing fetus. Even some pediatricians and obstetricians are not very well informed about the effects of moderate levels of fetal alcohol exposure, although they may know about FAS. The bottom-line message is that, 'if you're pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant, we don't know what a safe level for drinking is, and you're better off not drinking at all.'"

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14-Aug-2001

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