damn. i've sat silent on this list for close to a year now. i've got
great tips on some great bands and been the fly on the wall for some
interesting conversations. guess i'm just a voyeur at heart.
i've been following the recent conversations about beer and alcohol in
relation to fetal development and must express my OPINION of the matters.
on the topic of beer-
some egocentric shit out there think that since they are now writing to
this list, it has finally become interesting. i don't give a shit about
beer.
on the topic of fas-
since some people are so big on the credentials and education of the person
with whom they converse, let me begin by saying that though i am not a
"medical student," but i do have a masters degree in medical biology and i
work in developmental neurobiology at a major medical university. to say
"ANY amount of alcohol ingested during pregnacy will damage your child in
some way" is an absurd generalization and twisting of the facts regarding
fetal development. certainly there is a connection between drinking
alcohol and problems with fetal development. yes children can and do
develop neurological and neurological associated disorders when mothers
drink during pregnancy, but that's about all doctors know. the fact of the
matter is that most important time in fetal development is in the first six
weeks and the average amount of time before a mother knows she's pregnant
is about six weeks. point being, by the time a mother finds out she's
pregnant, the most crucial time in that child's development is over. i'm
not saying go down a pint of vodka after the first trimester, merely
stating that you never quite get all the facts from a pamphlet or even a
medical school class. generally speaking, women will continue to put their
babies at risk of fas unless they are planning to conceive and don't drink
or never drink anyway. most of the kids with fas have alcoholic mothers
that drink daily. the quotes that phil posted are somewhat informative,
yet somewhat misledding as well. instead of spending the next 30 minutes
on explaining how each sentence from that pamplet only leads to the
ambiguity of this arguement, i will merely state that it's all in the "best
interest of the ignorant public." the medical profession understands much
less than they want you to know. hell, until 1930, doctors used to employ
vibrators to treat hysteria.
as far as harping on amy because she's only 15 and has "half a high school
education," i don't think i really need to address the extent to which this
remark is juvenile. apparently some educated yet not enlightened person
needs to learn the lesson they are desparte to teach amy (whom i believe is
one or two up in this case).
so i think medical students and laymen alike ought to get of their high
horse cause it's old and got osteoporosis.
i'd hate to think all i did in my first post to this list was to bitch and
moan and defend someone who needed no defending anyway so . . . looking
forward to the mouse next week at the cat's cradle
ps. right on mark, keep your kids away
jeff
