Dublin mayor wants children in disadvantaged areas tested for fetal alcohol syndrome

[PaddyJoe]

Story in yesterday's Herald:

The mayor wants the tests because medical evidence suggests that babies can be born with physical and mental defects if their mothers consume too much alcohol during the course of their pregnancy. Childrens Right's activist and Senator Jillian Van Turnhout today rejected the Lord Mayor's proposal out of hand. The former head of the Children’s Rights Alliance told the Herald there is “no evidence whatsoever to suggest that class has anything to do with this”.
http://www.herald.ie/news/mayor-wants-to-test-babies-in-poor-areas-for-alcohol-3118063.html

[Captain Con O'Sullivan]

I wonder what the reaction would be to testing the children of wealthy and middle class parents for traces of tranquillisers in their systems. Or cocaine traces in the water systems from the houses in wealthy suburbs....:)

[PaddyJoe]

Only fair to say that he has disputed the Herald story this morning

Cllr Andrew Montague ‏@MayorMontague
@stephenTkelly The story in the Herald yesterday was simply not true. I've asked them for a retraction and apology. Please retweet

[Holly]

Only fair to say that he has disputed the Herald story this morning

The time was when people bought their Evening Herald from the newsboy they knew every story was true.
Ah! ... the good old days.

http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j480/rogerduke1/newsboy.jpg

[Count Bobulescu]

In the US alcohol labels contain a relatively mildly worded warning (much milder than cigs) against the dangers of consuming alcohol while pregnant but it is taken extremely seriously, to the point where a woman if she is a regular drinker will announce the pregnancy as soon as she knows and is off the sup for the duration. A woman with a bump seen consuming alcohol (a very rare event) will often be publicly berated and then shunned. It’s considered child abuse to an even greater extent than smoking. I sometimes think it's way overdone.

[fluffybiscuits]

Very snotty suggestion if it was suggested. As the Capn said get little Tadhg or Sorcha and test them for the marching powder. Hey set up random testing on Sydney Parade Dart station :D

[Seán Ryan]

Maybe he's coming at this from his own personal experience and is trying to understand why he's different...

[morticia]

I sometimes think it's way overdone.

It is way overdone; the advice here is that half a glass of bubbly at a wedding etc won't do anyone any harm, but even here, that is changing. Meanwhile our mothers all drank 2-3 glasses of plonk while pregnant; somehow the human race has survived. Unfortunately this is what happens to the guidelines when those who have foetal alcohol syndrome kids tell the doc it was 2 glasses a night that did the damage, rather than the whole bottle, which may be closer to the truth in many cases. However, there is the complicating factor that women of European origin are far better able to metabolize alcohol on average than those of other races, so the advice to drink nothing is probably appropriate in a multiracial setting. This is a legacy that implies longer access to booze on an evolutionary timescale, and possibly many thousands of years of abuse.

However, alcohol is in the minor league when talking about drug damage to foetuses. Cocaine is apparently seriously damaging as it can cut off the blood supply to whole sectors of the developing body, causing fatal damage in some cases. And of course, since it is illegal, there is little warning to those without a scientific or medical background. Spread the word!

[fluffybiscuits]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-18506174

1-2 drinks a week no harm apparently...

[HarmlessPoorOulDivil]

Lovely.

Did you know it's Dutch Gold that causes it, not Sancerre?

Agree with Morticia above.

It's way overdone, particularly in the states. Mind you, there is a real push on to roll back reproductive rights for women there, so control of women to protect foetuses dovetails nicely.
(The creepy concept of pre-pregnant, anyone?)