Comments on: Drinking during pregnancy linked to autism

By: Drinking While Pregnant Linked to Autism

Drinking While Pregnant Linked to Autism — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 19:00:29 +0000

[...] alcohol during pregnancy, today’s Times notes. This topic has come up before: Back in November, it was reported that moderate drinking during pregnancy could be “the hidden cause” of autism, [...]

By: Sue Miers

Sue Miers — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 07:07:45 +0000

My understanding of the article is that Dr. Watts was saying that some children with FASD may have been mis-diagnosed with ASD. I believe this to be the case in Australia because our health professionals have not been trained to diagnose FASD and the symptoms of ASD are very similar.

However, I am definitely not suggesting that parents of children with ASD drank alcohol during pregnancy.

Also, for those that are interested some further facts:

Only 10-20% of children with FASD will have distinguishing facial features – the others just have hidden brain or other physical damage.

It is important to have a correct diagnosis because FASD is preventable and also, if the child does have FASD there may also be other underlying physical defects in organs such as the heart, kidneys or liver.

Addressing alcohol use in pregnancy is nothing to do with laying blame or raising guilt in pregnant women – it is about giving information that enables them to make informed choice.

Many women might say they didn’t drink in pregnancy but some of the greatest harm caused by alcohol occurs before the women knows she is pregnant and so even though she stops drinking as soon as the pregnancy is confirmed and therefore considers she definitely didn’t drink in pregnancy the damage could have alread been done. That is why education is so important.

Not every woman who drinks during pregnancy necessarily causes harm – what must be remembered is that every woman is different – some will drink only once during pregnancy and cause harm, others may drink many times and cause no harm.

I encourage every woman of child bearing age to learn more about alcohol’s possible effects during pregnancy – no one knows which fetus and which mother is going to suffer the poison effects of alcohol.

The only responsible message in pregnancy is no alcohol = no risk.

By: Kristina Chew, PhD

Kristina Chew, PhD — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 19:18:07 +0000

The mother in question did not wait—–noted that it sure helped the child to go to sleep….

By: theasman

theasman — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 19:13:46 +0000

he is doing so well his teacher (off the record of course) does not think he is on the spectrum.

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Are we defining autism by behavior? or how well they conform to expectations? I would surmise that most people would agree by expectations who be a huge step backward

By: pickel

pickel — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 19:06:47 +0000

Kristina and Eleanor, totally agree. We had our IEP today and because he is doing so well his teacher (off the record of course) does not think he is on the spectrum. The question I did not ask is…what if I took him off the GFCF diet, and stopped the yeast treatment, and stopped giving him his clonidine?

What would happen then? Would he still be classified as a possible FAS kid or would he be checked again for PDD?

There have been new studies about the pump and dump, btw. I guess if you wait three hours? No experience here so I can’t comment

By: Kristina Chew, PhD

Kristina Chew, PhD — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 18:39:16 +0000

When Charlie was a baby (and yet undiagnosed), we were at the house of friends; the mother was nursing and had a beer, and assured me that “this was now okay.” I was a little unsettled by this; I o think it’s all a reminder that babies and alcohol equals a not so good combination. imho.

By: Eleanor

Eleanor — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 17:48:12 +0000

pickel: the reason I said that I didn’t think that FAS was easily confused with autism is that quite a few children with FAS have very distinctive facial features, particularly around the upper lip area. But I suppose there can be confusion where a child with FAS lacks those features, or a child with ASD has those traits. Also, it wouldn’t surprise me if the conditions could co-exist. What irritated me about the article (really the problem was the headine) was the suggestion that autism is the same as FAS.

By: pickel

pickel — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 04:26:12 +0000

You can also read more about his orphanage life at A Child Chosen…

By: pickel

pickel — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 04:25:21 +0000

My son was evaluated for FAS and Autism at the same time back when he was three and I have known for a long time that FAS and Autism symptoms overlap. In fact, they overlap so much so that in our case we can not tell if our son has FAS or if he has Autism because we don’t have much history on his birth mother.

Note that I said symptoms.

Children with FAS can display symptoms of autism, ADHD, aspergers, tourettes, and many other disorders.

Unless you have experience with both and have done your research on both topics please don’t be so quick to throw this out. Most mothers don’t drink while pregnant but some do, unfortunately.

I know what the symptoms of autism are and I know what the symptoms of FAS are and I can’t tell the difference in my son. I sure wish I could because then I would have an answer…a diagnosis.

By: Becky

Becky — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 22:56:51 +0000

I think this is a bunch of hogwash! I have never drank alcohol in my life, don’t like the taste of it and surely would not be stupid enough to drink while pregnant! So saying alcohol could be a contributer to autism in our case is very very untrue!