Women Urged Not to Drink While Pregnant

Doctors still telling women they can drink

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Awareness Day September 9 marked by
Illinois Forum and new brochure

CHICAGO, Sept. 4 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Learning disabilities, mental
health issues and behavior problems are just some of the issues that afflict
babies exposed to alcohol in the womb, yet some doctors still tell their
patients it is safe to have a drink now and then while pregnant.

Those hoping to change that are meeting on September 9, the ninth day of the
ninth month, for a forum dedicated to raising awareness about the dangers of
drinking while pregnant and the plight of children and families affected by
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). State legislators, health care
professionals, parents, social workers and drug prevention and treatment
specialists are coming together at Prairie State College in Chicago to mark
international FASD Awareness Day.

A new brochure titled "It's Only Nine Months" is also being released by
Prevention First, a nonprofit drug prevention organization participating in
the forum, addressing some of the common questions and misperceptions women
have about drinking while pregnant.

"Our research found that women are getting conflicting information about
drinking while pregnant," explained Karel Ares, executive director of
Prevention First. One focus group participant said she had heard that wine or
Champagne were good for a woman's blood while pregnant, Ares said. Others
thought drinking was safe in the first few months of pregnancy. "There is no
research that proves that any amount of alcohol is safe at any time for unborn
babies," Ares pointed out. "But there is a great deal of research about the
many lifelong problems caused by permanent brain damage from drinking alcohol
while pregnant."

Ares said that one of the most important groups of people she wants to get
this message are doctors. "FASD is preventable, yet some obstetricians are
still telling their patients they can have a glass of alcohol now and then.
It's like playing Russian Roulette with babies' lives, and we are working to
educate them about the risks."

Dr. Todd Ochs, a clinical instructor of pediatrics at Northwestern
University's Feinberg School of Medicine, one of the scheduled speakers at the
forum, said that part of the problem is that doctor training hasn't changed to
reflect new research about pre-natal alcohol exposure. "We used to worry about
women using heroin or other illegal drugs while pregnant, but there are too
many variables with alcohol that we don't yet understand, so the best advice a
doctor can give is that they shouldn't drink at all," Ochs noted.

Dr. Ochs has diagnosed and treated many children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum
Disorders and points out, "We know that drinking will cause damage, we just
don't know how much damage will occur or what amount of alcohol will cause the
damage, so why would anyone do something that's known to be harmful to a
baby?"

Among the speakers at the FASD Day forum are State Rep. Al Riley (D-Hazel
Crest), State Sen. Maggie Crotty (D-Oak Forest) and psychologist Dr. Jacquelyn
Bertrand from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Prevention First is offering the "It's Only Nine Months" brochure free through
its clearinghouse in Springfield, IL, which can be ordered online at
www.prevention.org/catalog, or by calling 800-252-8951, ext. 128.

For information or to register for the forum send an email to
illinoisFASDforum@yahoo.com or call 815-462-4273.

CONTACT:
Tari Marshall, 312-988-4646 ext. 233, tari.marshall@prevention.org
Manju Batmanathan, 217-793-7353 ext. 113, Manjula.batmanathan@prevention.org

SOURCE Prevention First

Tari Marshall, +1-312-988-4646 ext. 233, tari.marshall@prevention.org, or
Manju Batmanathan, +1-217-793-7353 ext. 113,
Manjula.batmanathan@prevention.org, both of Prevention First