A new born baby was found to be 15 times the adult drink drive limit after its Polish mother got drunk before the birth.

The mother was intoxicated during labour as she gave birth to a baby girl.

Doctors at a hospital in Otwock, on the outskirts of Warsaw, Poland called in police after the clearly-drunk expectant mother checked in to give birth on Monday.

Police spokeswoman Dorota Tietz said: "A blood test showed that the 38-year-old woman had a level of 1.2 grammes of alcohol at the time of birth."

A level of 1.2 grammes of alcohol per 1,000 grammes of blood is the equivalent of a bottle of wine or two litres of beer for an adult drinker but its impact is compounded in a new born's tiny body.

As a result, the infant was found to have a level of 2.9 grammes, police said.

The blood-alcohol limit for drivers in Poland is 0.2 grammes.

The mother, who has not been named, could now face up to five years in prison on charges of having endangered the life and health of her child, Tietz said.

She added: "The baby's life is not in immediate danger but doctors fear the impact on her development."

Doctors said the mother appeared obviously drunk before the birth and they will monitor the baby to see if there are ill effects.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/...rive-limit.html

Good job the baby wasn't driving then.

Good job the baby wasn't driving then.

Must have run out of Gas

Moss

This, although being deeply sad, is also amusing. However, how could an expectant mother on the verge of giving birth be so irresponsible?!?

I'm sure the baby will suffer no long term effects, but what about the mother? Does she have a problem?

This, although being deeply sad, is also amusing. However, how could an expectant mother on the verge of giving birth be so irresponsible?!?

I'm sure the baby will suffer no long term effects, but what about the mother? Does she have a problem?

I think she probably does Tiggs. As far as I'm aware the Hospital doesn't have a bar !!!!!

This, although being deeply sad, is also amusing. However, how could an expectant mother on the verge of giving birth be so irresponsible?!?

It's called alcoholism.

I'm sure the baby will suffer no long term effects,

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome has devastating, life-long, detrimental effects.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fetal_alcohol_syndrome

but what about the mother? Does she have a problem?

Extremely likely she's an alcoholic.

Happens with drug babies as well.

The father is Mr Sheen

This, although being deeply sad, is also amusing. However, how could an expectant mother on the verge of giving birth be so irresponsible?!?

It's called alcoholism.

I'm sure the baby will suffer no long term effects,

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome has devastating, life-long, detrimental effects.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fetal_alcohol_syndrome

but what about the mother? Does she have a problem?

Extremely likely she's an alcoholic.

Thanks for the link. That's extremely sad...

I visited Poland about 20 years ago for a holiday and drove about 6,000 km cris-cross the country (which is actually very beautiful!)

The only country I have seen so far (and I saw many), where I saw people passed out in the afternoon lying in the ditch with a vodka bottle in their hands. Sad but true.

This, although being deeply sad, is also amusing. However, how could an expectant mother on the verge of giving birth be so irresponsible?!?

It's called alcoholism.

I'm sure the baby will suffer no long term effects,

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome has devastating, life-long, detrimental effects.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fetal_alcohol_syndrome

but what about the mother? Does she have a problem?

Extremely likely she's an alcoholic.

Thanks for the link. That's extremely sad...

Happy to oblige in order to change the mood of the thread from one of amusement.

Happy to oblige in order to change the mood of the thread from one of amusement.

A little sanctimonious don't you think?

I am well aware of the depradations caused by an alcoholic mother and because of that I believe humour will always be the best defence when it is put in context.

You are welcome to your views which I thought was good and expressed an alternative view, but the above pharisaical statement is a touch condescending.

Moss

Very well said Moss.

Yes it is a bleak subject, but a lot of humour is based on ridicule and I'm just making light of a rather sensationalist article.

A story reported in the UK press about a non news worthy occurence in a Polish backwater.

Stereotyping perhaps?

It's just the way they use a comparison with adult drink driving levels with the alchohol levels in the baby. <deleted>!

That's what made me laugh.

Oh well I guess there's plenty out there that don't find the humour and plenty more out there that drink this kind of shit in without a thought every teabreak.

As for Raro's post.. I worked with Polish guys for the first time about 10 years ago and in the morning they smelled of vodka,

I thought hey ho... hardcore alcoholics, but I got talking to one of them one day and he told me that (at that time) vodka was cheaper than coffee in Polond so everyone started the day with a shot or two of vodka, everyone. Mum, dad, granny, kids.

They used to take coffeee with them when they went home.

Probably not cheaper than coffee now, but obviously still cheaper than anesthetic.

Very well said Moss.

Yes it is a bleak subject, but a lot of humour is based on ridicule and I'm just making light of a rather sensationalist article.

A story reported in the UK press about a non news worthy occurence in a Polish backwater.

Stereotyping perhaps?

It's just the way they use a comparison with adult drink driving levels with the alchohol levels in the baby. <deleted>!

That's what made me laugh.

Oh well I guess there's plenty out there that don't find the humour and plenty more out there that drink this kind of shit in without a thought every teabreak.

As for Raro's post.. I worked with Polish guys for the first time about 10 years ago and in the morning they smelled of vodka,

I thought hey ho... hardcore alcoholics, but I got talking to one of them one day and he told me that (at that time) vodka was cheaper than coffee in Polond so everyone started the day with a shot or two of vodka, everyone. Mum, dad, granny, kids.

They used to take coffeee with them when they went home.

Probably not cheaper than coffee now, but obviously still cheaper than anesthetic.

but saying this, i notice alot of my Thai Employees smell of Samsong after lunch..... but cheaper then a lunchtime pint i suppose

Sick and sad, I find no humor into. I hope that child is alright, they got a sh!tstrom of a life ahead of them.

A story reported in the UK press about a non news worthy occurence in a Polish backwater.

Exactly, there are more things to get on a high horse about.

Sick and sad,

Yes and Yes, alcoholism is a sickness that is a blight on many peoples lives and to drink to excess in pregnancy is a sad indictment of peoples lives, they need help not scorn or pity or a worthless parody of self-righteousness.

I find no humor into.

I am afraid I do, so I will and I do.

I hope that child is alright,

So do I, but only time will tell.

they got a sh!tstrom of a life ahead of them.

Not necessarily, they can make good, lets not make a drama out of a temporary crisis.

Moss

It's just the way they use a comparison with adult drink driving levels with the alchohol levels in the baby. <deleted>!

Oh well I guess there's plenty out there that don't find the humour

I think it's common to compare quantities in relation to size and weight to put the degree of alcohol poisoning and intoxication into perspective. The driving limit puts it into a legal context:

From above: "Police spokeswoman Dorota Tietz said: "A blood test showed that the 38-year-old woman had a level of 1.2 grammes of alcohol at the time of birth."

A level of 1.2 grammes of alcohol per 1,000 grammes of blood is the equivalent of a bottle of wine or two litres of beer for an adult drinker but its impact is compounded in a new born's tiny body.

As a result, the infant was found to have a level of 2.9 grammes, police said.

The blood-alcohol limit for drivers in Poland is 0.2 grammes. "

And no, not everyone does find the humor, but that seems to be more upsetting to some than the actual story or baby. It doesn't mean that some think less or that you care less, just in different ways.

There are more things to get on a high horse about ... I am afraid I do, so I will and I do.

Well yes, and you obviously view your prerogative to laugh or ridicule as the highest horse of all.

they got a sh!tstrom of a life ahead of them.

Not necessarily, they can make good, lets not make a drama out of a temporary crisis.

Moss

FAS isn't a temporary crisis, and no need for differing perspectives to become a "drama", or an indictment of "self-righteousness" or stupidity, but maybe just a difference of opinion?

Wikipedia: "Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is a disorder of permanent birth defects that occurs in the offspring of women who drink alcohol during pregnancy. It is unknown whether amount, frequency or timing of alcohol consumption during pregnancy causes a difference in degree of damage done to the fetus. Thus, the current recommendation is not to drink at all during pregnancy. Alcohol crosses the placental barrier and can stunt fetal growth or weight, create distinctive facial stigmata, damaged neurons and brain structures, and cause other physical, mental, or behavioural problems.[1][2][3]"

The main effect of FAS is permanent central nervous system damage, especially to the brain.

edit

Amazing how some people can pontificate about the evils of drink in certain circumstances and yet happily - perhaps proudly - admit to their younger days of using illicit drugs. Yes, this woman's actions were extraordinarily selfish and reckless for the welfare of her child. Medically, it could probably be as dangerous as giving birth to a heroin baby. But today (being Beerday), I am off for an enjoyable afternoon of Tigers in the knowledge that it will harm no-one. This hardly puts me in the category of those parasites amongst us (in society - not Bedlam, thankfully) who get out of bed late in the afternoon with the sole intent of doing a burglary or robbery in order to score. Scum.

As it's approaching beer-o-clock, I concur with the Pingster. Overindulgence of anything is bad for you, however, a mere smidgin of ale has medical benefits too many to count.

A tickle of crack, H or the like, not really in the same league.

Here, here. I'll clink to that one.

Never done crack or smack, never robbed anyone, never burgled anyone, never hurt anyone and believe it or not I had a bloody fantastic time!

But it was my choice.

Unborn babies don't have that choice, so if I have offended any of you by finding a little dark humour in this arcticle, I sorry, velly solly, velly velly solly.

Of course all drugs should be legal, on tap, served at a temperature of 5c and 50 baht a pop.

No offense taken. I was just trying to explain why some people seem humorless about the subject.

Cheers.

Not surprising how the judgmental have assumed the woman is an alcoholic. A fair speculation but unfounded nonetheless.

Could it be possible that the woman's fear of the pain of childbirth was such that she tried to anaethetise herself to some degree with alcohol, but overdid it ? Given the country was Poland it's possible she was unaware of the multiplier effect for the baby, or of the dangers of alcohol during pregnancy completely.

Some women's fear of pain during pregnancy is overwhelming. What else would convince someone to have a needle jammed into their spine ?

Is it possible for a new born baby to have such an alcohol level and not die?

a baby that weighs a few kilograms with such an alcohol level would probably die after birth or during birth.

Quite possible. But being a hospital a quick blood transfusion would bring the level down. Think the worry is more about long term brain damage. Liver and kidneys should recover if still functioning.

Not a nice way to enter the world...with a hangover.

Well, me dad started giving us young ones (I was 4/5 years old then ) a shot before bed time back in the Polish Refugee Camp in then West Germany, never did me nor me two brothers any arm at all. I am the only "al-kee-frolic" in the family BTW, stopped the hard stuff years ago and only on beers now, but I did enjoy it .......................

----------------------------------------------------

Poland

In Poland, vodka (Polish: wódka), has been produced since the early Middle Ages.

These early spirits were used as medicines. Stefan Falimierz asserted in his 1534 works on herbs that vodka could serve "to increase fertility and awaken lust". Wódka lub gorzała (1614), by Jerzy Potański, contains valuable information on the production of vodka. Jakub Kazimierz Haur, in his book Skład albo skarbiec znakomitych sekretów ekonomiej ziemiańskiej (A Treasury of Excellent Secrets about Landed Gentry's Economy, Kraków, 1693), gave detailed recipes for making vodka from rye.

Some Polish vodka blends go back centuries. Most notable are Żubrówka, from about the 16th century; Goldwasser, from the early 17th; and aged Starka vodka, from the 16th. In the mid-17th century, the szlachta (nobility) were granted a monopoly on producing and selling vodka in their territories. This privilege was a source of substantial profits. One of the most famous distilleries of the aristocracy was established by Princess Lubomirska and later operated by her grandson, Count Alfred Wojciech Potocki. The Vodka Industry Museum, now housed at the headquarters of Count Potocki's distillery, has an original document attesting that the distillery already existed in 1784. Today it operates as "Polmos Łańcut."

Large-scale vodka production began in Poland at the end of the 16th century, initially at Kraków, whence spirits were exported to Silesia before 1550. Silesian cities also bought vodka from Poznań, a city that in 1580 had 498 working spirits distilleries. Soon, however, Gdańsk outpaced both these cities. In the 17th and 18th centuries, Polish vodka was known in the Netherlands, Denmark, England, Russia, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Moldavia, Ukraine and the Black Sea basin.

Early production methods were primitive. The beverage was usually low-proof, and the distillation process had to be repeated several times (a three-stage distillation process was common). The first distillate was called "brantówka," the second — "szumówka," the third — "okowita" (from "aqua vitae"), which generally contained 70–80% alcohol by volume. Then the beverage was watered down, yielding a simple vodka (30–35%), or a stronger one if the watering was done using an alembic. The exact production methods were described in 1768 by Jan Paweł Biretowski and in 1774 by Jan Chryzostom Simon. The beginning of the 19th century inaugurated the production of potato vodka, which immediately revolutionized the market.

The end of the 18th century marked the start of the vodka industry in Poland (Poland was part of Russian empire at that time). Vodkas produced by szlachta and clergy became a mass product. The first industrial distillery was opened in 1782 in Lwów by Jan Baczewski. He was soon followed by Jakub Haberfeld, who in 1804 established a factory at Oświęcim, and by Hartwig Kantorowicz (1823) at Poznań. The implementation of new technologies in the second half of the 19th century, which allowed the production of clear vodkas, contributed to their success. The first rectification distillery was established in 1871. In 1925 the production of clear vodkas was made a Polish government monopoly.

After World War II, all vodka distilleries were taken over by Poland's communist government. During the 1980s, the sale of vodka was rationed. After the victory of the Solidarity movement, all distilleries were privatized, leading to an explosion of brands.

----------------------------------------------------

and the rest is history.

Kan Win

P.S. 59 years young this year BTW cheers

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome sufferer...

As a newborn:

At age 2:

At age 5:

At age 14:

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is the leading known cause of mental retardation and birth defects. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is a result of alcohol consumption during pregnancy. More American babies are born with FAS than cystic fibrosis, Downs syndrome, HIV, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, spinal bifida, and muscular dystrophy combined.

A woman's blood supplies the unborn child with oxygen and nourishment through blood vessels in the placenta. If a woman drinks during her pregnancy she is sharing that drink with her unborn child through the same process.

The type of alcohol is not a factor. It can be beer, wine, or liquor. There is no known safe amount of alcohol consumption during pregnancy.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is widely under-diagnosed. Some researchers feel that 1/3 to 2/3 of all children with special needs have been irreversibly affected by alcohol in some way. Statistics show:

1 in every 5 pregnant women uses alcohol and/or other drugs

Alcohol produces the most serious neurobehavioral effects when compared to other drugs including heroin, cocaine, and marijuana.

Three times as many women used alcohol during pregnancy than used illegal drugs.

REFRENCES

http://content.health.msn.com/content/article/3172.11553

http://www.come-over.to/FAS/

http://content.health.msn.com/content/article/1680.51836

http://www.nofas.org

http://silk.nih.gov/silks/niaaa1/publication/brochure.htm

I'm all in favor of a good drink - and by biological ancestry I'm part polish and have always taken to vodka quite well - but the idea that it is good health to feed alcohol to a fetus or baby is ludicrous, outdated, and irresponsible. When I was a teenager my parents used to give me vodka or rum to put on toothaches, but we were poor, without decent healthcare, and they were alcoholics. All of these elements affected their decisions, but it doesn't make alcohol poisoning of newborns or infants any less damaging.

I think in former generations alcohol was genuinely believed to be good for babies and not a problem for pregnant women, but that is not the case anymore. They know that it is harmful and can cause effects from brain damage to behavioral problems in children, but they don't know by how much yet. Medical researchers say that moderate drinking may be OK for some pregnant women, but there are so many variables involved that it is hard to gauge in general so they recommend not drinking at all. Also, what is defined as moderated drinking? Some say not more than 1 glass of wine per week, and some say that even that is too much and that it should be half a glass. They are only sure that anything more than very light drinking exponentially increases the risk for the fetus and unborn baby.

If I was pregnant I wouldn't risk it for the sake of a drink. I am not one to go around glowering at pregnant women who are having a drink, but their actions do impact more than just their spirits at the moment. In all honesty, I'm not sure how I would react if I saw a pregnant woman downing a bottle of vodka or wine while pregnant. It is like watching a car wreck in motion.

I suspect that Blatz poster was before American Prohibition, Boater, back when we still brewed respectable beer.