In a message dated 11/18/2005 12:08:51 AM Eastern Standard Time, [log in to unmask] writes: When it comes to the brain of a developing newborn, I'd rather err on the side of safety with alcohol and suggest a moderate approach such as the Institute of Medicine recommendations - not too restrictive, but still protective. Yesterday, Rachel Myr just gave us one more reason to suggest sensible moderation in terms of the mother's ability to care for her infant. Dear Friends: Susan's lovely post gives lots of pertinent details about sample size and reminds us that p values are the most telling. One problem with the Menella study about alcohol is that the amount the baby ingested at a feed before the mother drank was taken as baseline. As we know amounts ingested vary among feeds. Who is to say that some babies taking less at a subsequent feed means anything? I am also concerned about this "err on the side of safety" notion. Everyone has their own interpretation of that, which leads to non-evidence based practice. A classic example of that is the Physician's Desk Reference which says that no drug is safe to take while breastfeeding. I don't know of any study showing that a mother breastfeeding and drinking alcohol has harmed any infant (and I am not talking about the drunken mother that rolled over on her baby, which is a different and serious concern). I am talking about the baby ingesting some molecules of alcohol because the mother has had some alcoholic drink. Even the Little study could not be replicated. Of course if mom is drinking, then we have to raise the question about how safe her baby will be if she does become inebriated. Even the concept that drinking alcohol when pregnant is controversial when one examines the evidence from other countries. Some european countries tell pregnant women that 7 units of alcohol per week is alright, as long as they are spread out over the week and not all in one day; there is evidence to base this recommendation. In the States, women are told 'no alcohol' while pregnant, in part because health care providers don't trust that adult women can be responsible, and because FAS and related syndromes are serious public health issues. I see the blanket prohibition as an extreme, which creates its own problems, the least of which is that folks lie about what they are doing. As for the notions about pumping and dumping, I see elements of morality and fear upon which the recommendations are made. We are all upset about those when applied to bed-sharing, yet many will accept them when applied to alcohol. Alcohol has been part of human history for eons.....................I am not aware of any cultural beliefs about alcohol and breastfeeding except for the Irish notion that Guiness is good for nursing mothers. Are there any others in the world? warmly, Nikki Lee RN, MS, Mother of 2, IBCLC, CCE Maternal-Child Adjunct Faculty Union Institute and University Film Reviews Editor, Journal of Human Lactation www.breastfeedingalwaysbest.com *********************************************** To temporarily stop your subscription: set lactnet nomail To start it again: set lactnet mail (or digest) To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet All commands go to [log in to unmask] The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(R) mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html