THE National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) wants the mandatory recording of alcohol consumption by expectant mothers to be included in their children’s medical records.
This raises serious privacy concerns, but it is possible to justify the policy on the grounds of its benefits to children’s health.
Isn’t it ludicrous, however, on practical grounds, also to include a woman’s alcohol consumption during her first week of pregnancy? I say this because, as a father of three, I know that to calculate a woman’s exact date of conception is not an exact science.
A good guesstimate can be made from knowledge of a woman’s ovulation date, her last menstrual period date, or by ultrasound. But, none of these is sufficiently accurate to define reliably the first week of pregnancy.
Come on NICE, get into the real world. A world where medical correctness is modified by common humanity, as well as by common sense!
Steve Kay, Cabinet Member: Health, Housing and Welfare, Redcar & Cleveland Council.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here