Pregnancy myths, truths and best guesses

They persist. Mainly because myths can’t be scientifically disproved. I’m sure when researchers want a pregnant volunteer for experimenting, no one raises a hand. “Pregnancy and birth are two of the greatest unknowns in science,” says Tonia Moore-Davis, director of the nurse-midwife practice at Vanderbilt University school of Nursing in Nashville.

Morning Sickness

Here’s one: there’s nothing you can do about morning sickness. Surprisingly, Moore-Davis’s team reviewed studies and found only 27 such studies related to this issue since 1959. None of them with clear results.

Sex during pregnancy

Another one: it’s safe to have sex during pregnancy. Here too, evidence is contradictory or highly individualized. For most women, it’s perfectly safe at any time. But for some it’s dangerous. Pregnant women must not hesitate to ask their obstetrician what is right for them.

Drinking while pregnant

And this: no alcohol when pregnant. Heavy drinking for sure is totally out. There is no myth to fetal alcohol syndrome. Abstinence from alcohol is promoted by all the important groups: CDC, Surgeon General, WHO. But seriously, who is going to do this study and ask for women to volunteer to get occasionally hammered when they’re pregnant? Never going to happen. So no one really knows what the threshold is. There are studies that show up to two drinks a week while pregnant might be OK. “Children born to light drinkers don’t appear to be at any increased risk for difficulties compared to women who chose not to drink in pregnancy,” says Yvonne Kelly, University of Essex who conducted the study in 2002. She warns though to never get drunk. Frankly, my feeling during my pregnancies was that alcohol could wait. It wasn’t worth hurting the baby or losing my best judgment at the most important time in my life.

There are a few more we can explore tomorrow.

Source: LATimes

image: detail from Mandrake (Mandragora officinarum) from "Tacuinum Sanitatis" manuscript (ca. 1390)