Briana Clift PSY 1100 News Article 1 1.28.14 Drinking During Pregnancy htt !""www.theatlantic.

c#$"health"archi%e"2014"01"&rinking'&uring' regnancy'e%en'a'little' i$ airs'chil&h##&'aca&e$ics"28(())" Drinking while regnant can lea& t# *irth &efects f#r a chil&. +t is 100, re%enta*le. -he #fficial g#%ern$ent stance in A$erica is a*stinence *ut 8, still a&$it t# &rinking f#r a nu$*er #f reas#ns #ne *eing s#$e research sh#wing that it c#ul& *e *eneficial. +n c#$ aris#n. the /01s stance is $uch $#re lenient. 23#$en wh# are #r are lanning t# *ec#$e regnant. says the /0 De art$ent #f 4ealth. 1sh#ul& n#t &rink $#re than #ne t# tw# units #f alc#h#l #nce #r twice a week an& sh#ul& a%#i& e is#&es #f int#5icati#n.6 -he article f#cuses #n aca&e$ic effects #n chil&ren. +t is *ase& #n the research #f the Nati#nal Bureau #f 7c#n#$ic 8esearch 9NB78:. NB78 #ints #ut the &ifference #f effects fr#$ *eer t# wine. -hey als# ass#ciates these &rinking ch#ices t# ec#n#$ic status. ;#ng e5 #sure t# &rinking &efinitely has a result th#ugh it is har& t# &eter$ine the &egree #f &a$age if the &rinking was l#w t# $#&erate. -he NB78 re #rts &iscre&its &rinking while regnant *eing *eneficial. 8esearch c#ntinues t# *etter un&erstan& this issue.

I think this matters because drinking while pregnant, or doing anything that could be harmful to that baby, is a choice being made for that baby that can have lifelong effects. I think that being pregnant is a very demanding time for a mother but there are many ways to relax and unwind that don't potentially affect your babies growth. A mother can't fully make decisions based on one side of the research but be nave to the other research that proves harmful. I thought it was interesting that the N !" brought up social economic status as a ma#or influence

on the beverage choice but the article never linked together that economic statue could in itself have a large influence on learning ability with or without alcohol consumption in the womb. $his was a great example of how environment influences our lives in the womb and out.