These new studies have recently been reported.
Scientific data continue to indicate that higher intake of alcohol during pregnancy adversely affects the fetus, and could lead to very severe developmental or other problems in the child. However, most recent publications show little or no effects of occasional or light drinking by the mother during pregnancy. The studies also demonstrate how socio-economic, education, and other lifestyle factors of the mother may have large effects on the health of the fetus and child; these must be considered when evaluating the potential effects of alcohol during pregnancy.
A very large population-based observational study from the UK found that at the age of 5 years, the children of women who reported light (no more than 1-2 units of alcohol per week or per occasion) drinking did not show any evidence of impairment on testing for behavioral and emotional problems or cognitive ability. There was a tendency for the male children of women reporting “heavy/binge” drinking during pregnancy (7 or more units per week or 6 or more units per occasion) to have poorer behavioural scores, but the effects were less clear among female offspring.
A second study, published in Pediatrics, based on a population in Western Australia examined the associations between dose, pattern, and timing of prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) and birth defects and found similar results, that there was no association between low or moderate prenatal alcohol exposure and birth defects.
Data from a randomly selected, population-based cohort of non- indigenous women who gave birth to a live infant in Western Australia (WA) between 1995 and 1997 (4714 participants) were linked to WA Midwives Notification System and WA Birth Defects Registry data. Information about maternal alcohol consumption was collected 3 months after birth for the 3 month period before pregnancy and for each trimester separately.
Low alcohol consumption was defined as less then 7 standard drinks (10g) a week, and no more than 2 drinks on any one day. Women who consumed more than 70g per week were classified as heavy drinkers and women consuming more than 140g were classified as very heavy drinkers.
Overall, current scientific data indicate that while drinking during pregnancy should not be encouraged, there is little evidence to suggest that an occasional drink or light drinking by the mother is associated with harm. Heavy drinking, however, is associated with serious developmental defects in the fetus.
With this variety in guests and interests, it is a good idea to have a multitude of games which are fun and lighthearted, and easy for anyone to play. Having games prepared in advance will also keep the conversation flowing and ensure that everyone is having a good time, leaving you time to relax and enjoy the party. Choose a few of your favorites from the list of games, and you can be sure the party will be a hit!
These games are sure to be fun and get everyone involved! Although it is often fun to include prizes, we all know that this can get expensive. Prizes are not a requirement, but if you would like to do so there are several options. First, make sure the prizes are small. A nice bar of soap, some chocolates, or a candle are great options. If you would like to have more prizes, you can always ask each guest to bring a small wrapped gift (under five or ten dollars) and pass these out to each winner. No matter your budget, there are ways to make it work!
1 in the Oven has some wonderful cotton Hospital Gowns in both short and long sleeve. These gowns are far more flattering than the ones you get at the hospital and have built in slits in the front pleats for nursing access. They come in some beautiful pastel shades and now in organic cotton as well.
They are also sized as S/M and L/XL which helps in attaining a better fit than the one size fits all you get at the hospital. These gowns are designed to be worn during surgery, labor delivery and outpatient treatment. They also have snaps along the shoulders which make for easy nursing access without opening in the pleats which is nice when you are not nursing and don’t wont to worry about “popping out” which is often a problem with the typical hospital gown.