Hellobee Boards

@jedeve: I think the 1 in 20 figure comes from this paper
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/134/5/855.long
That includes kids who they say have partial FAS. I'm sure there are different degrees of FAS but in looking at Figure 1 of that paper being at or below the 10th percentile for weight is sufficient in and of itself for being diagnosed with partial FAS
Even though their criterium for diagnosing FAS stated to choose kids who were small height and weight wise, they then stated that one of their significant findings was that kids they diagnosed with FAS or partial FAS were significantly smaller height and weight wise (though the small kids seemed to be proportional since there was no bmi diff between groups). That's interesting science.

It's a stupid recommendation. They are not reacting well to a increased acceptance of alcohol consumption during pregnancy.

I've completed several trainings on Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and will say this: there is a lot we don't know. And it's really hard to diagnosis, especially on the "lighter" end of the spectrum, where you might see behavior issues, mild learning disorders, etc.
For what it's worth, I don't support the cdc's message here. It's patronizing and short sighted. But there is a lot about the impact of alcohol on a fetus that we don't know, except that for some reason, an amount that is different for each woman, it can be dangerous to a fetus.

I wish we were focusing on better screening for women with substance use disorders, more accessible and better treatment, and more access to birth control.
Ultimately women will make their own decisions about alcohol consumption. But there is risk in drinking alcohol if you could be pregnant. There just is. We don't know what the risk is, and it seems that it's probably different for everyone. If that was the message the cdc was trying to get across, it will sadly be eclipsed.

Looking at the infographic, which I hadn't really studied before, makes me even more annoyed. Saying, for example, "for any woman" heavy drinking can result in "sexually transmitted diseases" seems awfully close to ideas like "don't drink too much or you might be sexually assaulted!" and I think that's probably not a line the CDC wants to be anywhere near. If they're trying to target a certain population they should, you know, do that. Talk about the consequences of heavy drinking during pregnancy. Offer suggestions for treatment and more options for birth control, as @Silva said. Making such a blanket statement just overshadows the important parts of the message.

I also liked this comment I saw: "Eagerly awaiting the CDC recommendation that no men have sex with women of child bearing age if they have been drinking..." Yup.

@Raindrop: this 100%. I doubt anyone on HB is in the target audience. By default being concerned enough parents to be on a parenting website and be informed. I think the CDC wants women who could get pregnant and are drinking heavily to think about either preventing pregnancy or curbing their drinking.

@JenGirl: right?

(RE: "I also hate that the CDC, which should be a trustworthy resource, is making such a ridiculous recommendation and that people will use this as ammunition not to follow other, good, CDC advice.")

I was hoping someone had brought this up when I saw it on social media earlier in the week - I was pretty annoyed if not downright disgusted by the patronizing message and tone of the CDC infographic.
When I was pregnant with my first I asked our friends from Italy what they were told about alcohol consumption during pregnancy and they were baffled! They could t believe that it's frowned on for women to enjoy any wine during pregnancy at all. (They did not think pregnant women should drink to excess of course) Why is the US so paranoid about the risks of every thing we consume?