Can Mom’s drinking lower child’s IQ?
This may explain a few things.
From Reuters:
For pregnant women, even a few alcoholic beverages per week during the first or second trimester can have harmful consequences on the cognitive development of the unborn child.
A long-term study has found that 10-year-old African-American children who were exposed to between two to six drinks per week during pregnancy, particularly in the second trimester, had a lower IQ compared with children who were not exposed to alcohol while in the womb.
[...]
It’s well known that heavy drinking during pregnancy can lead to lower intelligence in children, but less is known about the effects of light-to-moderate drinking during pregnancy on the child’s IQ, Willford and colleagues note in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.
[...]
No such association was found for Caucasian children in the study. “This racial difference could not be explained by the amount or pattern of drinking during pregnancy or socioeconomic factors,” Willford told Reuters Health. This suggests that genetics play a role in these racial differences, the investigators add
So this just amounts to at the least more bad news for African-Americans.
This being the case, also consider the alcohol problems in the African-American community where the hardest liquors are consumed in larger amounts (the infamous “40 ounce”). Consider the following:
We know that African Americans have more binge drinking than whites or Hispanics. In addition, in some subgroups, such as those that are socioeconomically disadvantaged, special kinds of drinks like Malt Liquor that come in large serving sizes prevail.”
So if “moderate” drinking lowers IQ, then what about binge drinking of hard Malt Liquor? Much less cocaine and other hard drugs. How many of you have seen that drunken pregnant black women in a late trimester. What becomes of these children?
Reuters: Just two drinks a week may lower unborn child’s IQ
Pittsburgh Post Gazzette: Can Mom’s drinking lower kids’ IQ?
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Press release: Low-to-moderate prenatal alcohol exposure lowers IQ at age 10
Filed under: Children's Issues
Not to undercut the very important point you’re making, but Malt Liqour is not a hard liqour….It’s basically just moderately strong beer. I used to drink 40s in my Jahiliya days, and while it “did the job”, 40 onces of actual hard liquor would have probably killed me. I mean, al-hamidallah for small blessings right? That publically drinking hard liqours hasn’t caught on quite yet.
DA:
Hmmm. I am not very knowledgeable about alcoholic drinks because I never drank, wa lillahlilhamd. I suppose I thought of Malt Liquor as a hard liquor maybe because of Public Enemy or something.
My point is that in the article they are talking about harmful effects of “moderate” drinking has on children and not binge drinking or getting high on drugs
I heard a report about the "Fetal Alcohol Syndrome". They mentioned one area in South Africa where 30% of children have this issue. Lowered IQs, mental disabilities. Haraam.
Smoking and drinking, whilst pregnant, I believe is child abuse.
For the last few decades drinking while with child has been frowned upon; but now you can see pregnant women drinking all the time even on television. Part of it, in my estimation, is that the clubbing and going out for drinks lifestyle is so prevalent than many people just cant live without it for any period of time.
Salaam ‘Alaikum
When I had my first child, having any alcoholic beverage after you knew you were PG was considered really bad. I mean, they really drove that point home in the books, etc. This last time around, I noticed in some of the books and magazines, some women saying “Oh it’s okay if you just have one glass once in a while….”
OK, I think everyone agrees that drinking while pregnant is bad for the fetus, but what a lot of people still refuse to admit is that pain medication during labor (epidural etc) is as strong (and possibly as harmful) as cocaine. They are very strong drugs that can also effect a child’s cognitive development.
Amani:
Interesting. I will try to look that information up, Insha Allah
fetal alcohol syndrome is the name. there is no safe level of alcohol consumption by the mother during pregnancy. An example of the appearance of someone with FAS is the ex British PM John Major.
As Salaamu Alaykum
I am currently raising a 14 yr old boy (nephew) with Fetal Alcohol Effects. It aint easy! It is especially hard to have them practice Islam. For the most part he says he is a Muslim, but if he was raised in the house of Devil Worshippers he would claim that as his deen as well.
These children are some of the most dificult children to raise. I have practically given up on trying to instill Islam in him, because it is useless unless/until Allah changes his condition (which ‘THEY’ say is no cure cuz it’s irrepairable brain damage). La Hawla Wallah Qawatta Illah Billah.
Allahu Musta’aan
Umm Adam
wa alaykum as-salaam
May Allah reward you for taking care of your nephew and make things easy for you
Dave
Interesting topic… I’m working in this industry myself and I don’t agree about this in 100%, but I added your page to my bookmarks and hope to see more interesting articles in the future
Dave
Interesting topic… I’m working in this industry myself and I don’t agree about this in 100%, but I added your page to my bookmarks and hope to see more interesting articles in the future