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'No amount of alcohol at any stage of pregnancy is safe for your baby'

The HSE said there was a lot of misleading information and confusion around alcohol and pregnancy.

PROSPECTIVE MOTHERS ARE being warned against any sort of alcohol use during their pregnancy as the HSE launches a new campaign to dispel the myths between drinking and carrying a child.

To mark Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) Awareness Day today, the HSE’s Alcohol Programme spoke with women who are pregnant and women actively considering becoming pregnant.

It said that the overriding message it heard from these women was that there is a lot of misleading information and confusion around alcohol and pregnancy.

Ireland is estimated to have the third highest rate of FASD in a study of the global prevalence of the disorder out of 187 countries. 

The HSE said that drinking alcohol during pregnancy can cause a number of side effects including: 

  • hyperactivity and poor attention
  • learning difficulties and a lower IQ
  • difficulty controlling behaviour
  • difficulty getting along with other people
  • being smaller than expected
  • problems with eating and sleeping
  • emotional and mental health problems

A HSE spokeswoman said: “The fact is that no amount of alcohol at any stage of pregnancy is safe for your baby. Alcohol passes from the mother’s blood into the baby’s blood via the placenta and can damage a baby’s developing brain and body.

“Ireland is estimated to have the 3rd highest rate of Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, including Foetal Alcohol Syndrome, in a global study of 187 countries. One of the best things you can do during pregnancy to keep yourself and your baby healthy is to avoid drinking alcohol. This new leaflet explains why.”

Dr Mary O’Mahony, Specialist in Public Health Medicine with the HSE, added: “Pregnant women receive conflicting advice about drinking during pregnancy, and are often assured by family and friends that an occasional drink won’t do any harm. But the fact is that there is no proven level of safe drinking during pregnancy. FASD causes life-long problems for babies.

“We do know that heavy or frequent drinking is more dangerous, and the more you drink, the greater the risk to your baby. But the only way to have zero risk, is to drink zero alcohol.”

Recent research by the HSE found that 1 in 2 people in Ireland claim they are aware of illnesses and conditions that affect babies after birth as a result of exposure to alcohol during pregnancy, however only just over 1 in 10 people state they have a good understanding of FASD, its symptoms and its cause.

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    Mute Peter Cavey
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    Sep 9th 2019, 7:32 AM

    Many children born in the 70s and earlier would have had a mother who drank and smoked – I was socially acceptable back then and we also didn’t know the dangers like we do now. However, we all turned out fine and none of us have this ADHD which kids today all seem to have which ticks the boxes of symptoms of mother’s who drink during pregnancy.. weird.

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    Mute Barry Somers
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    Sep 9th 2019, 7:47 AM

    @Peter Cavey: you sound like one of those fools who says, “sure smoking is grand, I smoked 60 a day and never got cancer”

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    Mute Sorcha Ní Shúilleabháin
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    Sep 9th 2019, 7:58 AM

    @Peter Cavey: The fact that you think smoking during pregnancy is ok is evidence enough of the damage done!

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    Mute Means of escape
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    Sep 9th 2019, 8:19 AM

    @Barry Somers: or “I never smoked a cigarette and got cancer “

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    Mute Peter Cavey
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    Sep 9th 2019, 9:25 AM

    @Sorcha Ní Shúilleabháin: how on Earth did you manage to derive the I condone smoking during pregnancy from what I said? What I’m saying is that in the 60s and 70s smoking and drinking during pregnancy wasn’t a social or medical faux pas.

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    Mute Dave O'Keeffe
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    Sep 9th 2019, 12:01 PM

    @Peter Cavey: would you care to define the “we all” in “and we all turned out fine” fine.

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    Mute Red Pirate 71
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    Sep 9th 2019, 6:28 PM

    @Peter Cavey: ah sure it’s all made up. ADHD. Autism. Foetal alcohol syndrome. Low birthweight babies. It’s all made up. And all the lads from the 70s whose mothers smoked and gargled are grand. (Except the ones that disregard the advice of the expert medics and scientists that tell us no alcohol is safe in pregnancy.)

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    Mute Seamus Mac
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    Sep 9th 2019, 8:11 AM

    “Is safe for your baby” So its a baby now?

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    Mute Dave O'Keeffe
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    Sep 9th 2019, 9:23 AM

    @Seamus Mac: it’s always a baby in the eyes of those that want to be parents. How are you still not getting this? The use of the term baby is emotive. Here it serves the same purpose as with the pro-life argument. The “that’s a baby you’re harming”. The difference being those consuming alcohol do wish for their foetus to progress to childhood and are therefore talking about and planning for a baby.

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    Mute Seamus Mac
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    Sep 9th 2019, 9:40 AM

    @Dave O’Keeffe: so the value of a life is dependent on whether they are “wanted” or not?

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    Mute Dave O'Keeffe
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    Sep 9th 2019, 12:09 PM

    @Seamus Mac: do I have to explain the different between actual terms and emotional terms to you one more time? Nowhere did I me tion the value of either by the way. That was you trying to defeat an argument I didn’t make. One question though, if a woman miscarries and comforts herself by referring to the baby as a group of cells would you contradict her? Give an explanation for your answer if possible.

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    Mute Sirius
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    Sep 9th 2019, 1:02 PM

    @Seamus Mac: I bet you nearly wet yourself posting that.

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    Mute MaxDemons
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    Sep 9th 2019, 5:23 PM

    @Seamus Mac: The decision is made by the mother, none of your (or my) business.

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    Mute Michael Geraghty Bodycoach
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    Sep 9th 2019, 7:39 AM

    Seen a pregnant woman yesterday in Ballyfermot smoking outside a pub. Now I cant say she was drinking but FFS. Boiled my blood the lack of care for the child.

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    Mute Sorcha Ní Shúilleabháin
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    Sep 9th 2019, 8:01 AM

    @Michael Geraghty Bodycoach: You’d die so if you ever visited a maternity hospital and saw them all lined up under the No Smoking sign outside the door puffing away in their dressing gowns. Depressing stuff!

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    Mute Chin Feeyin
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    Sep 9th 2019, 6:50 AM

    GP says: “The odd glass of wine during pregnancy won’t do any harm “

    Woman hears: “I can drink as much as I like”.

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    Mute Big Red
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    Sep 9th 2019, 8:10 AM

    @Chin Feeyin: a glass of wine with your dinner never did anyone any harm. It has actually been shown to have health benefits.

    I would be surprised if there was any evidence to show that womens’ ears worked different to doctors’ ears.

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    Mute Dave O'Keeffe
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    Sep 9th 2019, 9:25 AM

    @Big Red: so you’re saying pregnant women can drink a glass of wine with dinner every day and it’ll do no harm whatsoever?

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    Mute 5hbeZh0I
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    Sep 9th 2019, 9:46 PM

    @Dave O’Keeffe: there are conflicting studies on the benefits and/or risks of a glass or 2 of wine a day, it seems to change every year

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    Mute Conor Kleaver
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    Sep 9th 2019, 6:35 AM

    Does this apply to pregnant men and women. Men have a higher threshold and could easy drink 2 or 3 pints a day.

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    Mute Chin Feeyin
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    Sep 9th 2019, 6:48 AM

    @Conor Kleaver: alcohol is a poison. There is no “safe” level of alcohol consumption for men or women.

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    Mute Cupid Stunt
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    Sep 9th 2019, 8:40 AM

    @Conor Kleaver: pregnant men?

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    Mute Sirius
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    Sep 9th 2019, 1:05 PM

    @Conor Kleaver: “pregnant men”? What?

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    Mute Mirabelle Stonegate
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    Sep 11th 2019, 1:00 AM

    @Chin Feeyin: uh.. I had a single can of bulmers on Saturday. First drink in over 2 months. Pretty sure that’s a safe level of consumption right there. Moderation is key to safe consumption of anything

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    Mute Darren Forde
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    Sep 9th 2019, 8:47 AM

    No amount of alcohol is safe regardless of weather your pregnant or not its a posion fact.

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    Mute Reuben Gray
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    Sep 9th 2019, 9:42 AM

    @Darren Forde: Not a fact, not even close to it. Alcohol in small amounts have benefits.
    Those benefits mean that an occasional to moderate drinker is at lower risk and is generally healthier than a teetotaller.

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    Mute Mirabelle Stonegate
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    Sep 11th 2019, 1:01 AM

    @Darren Forde: uh.. I had a single can of bulmers on Saturday. First drink in over 2 months. Pretty sure that’s a safe level of consumption right there. Moderation is key to safe consumption of anything

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    Mute John Flood
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    Sep 9th 2019, 7:34 AM

    Post that headline in every pub and off licence in Ireland!

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    Mute Mr K F
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    Sep 9th 2019, 12:36 PM

    Why would a woman drink a dangerous, psychoactive, poisonous, cancer-causing, fetus wrecking drug while she’s pregnant? That’s obviously child abuse and prosecutions should take place because of this incredibly selfish behavior. And the same applies for smoking while pregnant and eating junk food while pregnant too. It’s disgraceful. If you love the baby in your womb and want the baby to be healthy then you would not do any of them destructive behaviors, ever. It’s just pure and unadulterated selfishness. I know of two people who have been damaged by their mothers drinking while pregnant. It’s just plain wrong.

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    Mute 5hbeZh0I
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    Sep 9th 2019, 9:48 PM

    @Mr K F: because it’s great, I’m guessing you don’t drink

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    Mute Mirabelle Stonegate
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    Sep 11th 2019, 1:03 AM

    @Mr K F: and if you’re like me, and will never live anything that takes up residence in my womb? What you’re saying is I should start drinking to extremes to kill it off, right? I mean, if you love it, youre saying a person won’t do those things, so I assume you intend for someone that doesn’t love the thing infesting it to carry out those behaviours.

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    Mute Mr K F
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    Sep 11th 2019, 4:08 PM

    @Mirabelle Stonegate: What did I just read? That was bizarre to say the least!

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    Mute Mr K F
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    Sep 11th 2019, 4:13 PM

    @5hbeZh0I: You guessed wrong, good Sir. I’m an occasional drinker. A couple of cold beers every now and then.

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    Mute Mark Fields
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    Sep 9th 2019, 9:55 AM

    However, plenty of alcohol can be consumed prior to the pregnancy.

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    Mute Dave O'Keeffe
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    Sep 9th 2019, 1:36 PM

    @Mark Fields: sure tis an aphrodisiac

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    Mute 5hbeZh0I
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    Sep 9th 2019, 9:48 PM

    @Mark Fields: how else would they get pregnant?!

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    Mute Sirius
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    Sep 9th 2019, 1:04 PM

    For just one example of how seriously pregnant women take these warnings – drive past the Coombe at any hour of the day and you’ll be greeted by the sight of pregnant women in their pjs chain smoking at the gates.

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