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So you?re craving a glass of Pinot with dinner, you?re in your third trimester and you?ve heard all about how women in France sip wine throughout their pregnancies. How much harm could it do, right" Actually, if you listen to the research, quite a bit. Not only are the effects of prenatal alcohol lifelong, they can be hard to predict. Just because your friend had a glass of wine and her baby was fine doesn?t mean that yours will be, too. In fact, her child may be yet to show the signs.
Brian Philcox and Bonnie Buxton?s adopted daughter, Colette, started out as a spunky but happy kid. But after starting school, she started showing signs of behavioural issues. By the time she was 10, she was skipping school, and by her teens, she was doing drugs. Within a few years, she was living on the streets. The behaviour was confusing and heartbreaking for her parents who had always provided a stable home, but when Buxton saw a program about Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) on TV, it all made sense. She recognized many of the physical and behavioural attributes in her daughter and after an encounter with Colette?s birth father?s family, her suspicions were confirmed: Colette?s mother had been a heavy drinker and drank throughout her pregnancy. But not many moms understand or are willing to talk about the effect their drinking has had on their kids. Many of the problems remain untold. That?s why we went to some of Canada?s leading FASD doctors and researchers t...