Conference moira::parenting

    The way I went about it while pregnant was:  we have a pretty good idea
    of what effect refined sugar has on our (mom and fetus) bodies,
    nutrasweet hasn't been around long enough for *me* to take a risk of
    using it.  I don't feel like it's been tested thoroughly enough to
    expose Aaron to it, before he was born or in the near future.  
    
    You difinitely use ibuprofen (mortin, advil, etc.) while pregnant as it
    could cause kidney damage in to the fetus (not that you asked, it's on
    my mind for some reason).
    
    sandy

    I am diabetic and typically use large amounts of NutraSweet and 
    saccharin.  I was told to limit the amount of both during my 
    pregnancy and that of the two NutraSweet was better for you and baby 
    then saccharin.  The numbers I was given, was to limit the saccharin to 1 
    serving a day and NutraSweet to 3 to 5 servings a day MAX.  A serving 
    being defined by 1 packet or 1 item, such as a soda = 1 serving.  I 
    received this information from the Joslin Diabetes Pregnancy Clinic 
    that followed many, many pregnancies.    
    
    I remember having a very hard time with this as I have used saccharin 
    for years consumming large amounts of Tab (Diet Coke not being a 
    replacement in my book)  I did survive.  
    
    YMMV 
    lori
    

    When I was pregnant with my 2 year old I asked my doctor because I too
    heard something from someone....  He said there wasn't enough data for
    him to restrict it from my diet.  He felt comfortable with me having it
    in moderation.  
    
    I had a very healthy 9 lb 10 oz baby boy and he's still perfect today.
    
    Consult you doctor.  Even a call to the office and speaking to the
    nurse will let you know his/her preference.
    
    Chris

    I dont allow my kids any NutraSweet (to the extent I can control it).
    I dont use it myself.  I have no data except the memory
    that it failed under Carter and passed FDA under Reagan.
    bob

My pregnant wife (due October) was told "no nutrasweet" by her doctor.
I think the reason has to due with fetal development.

Charlie

	I think moderation is the key.  Also, if it doesn't really bother
	you to go without it, then why take the unknown risk?

	I use to eat/drink things with nutrasweet without a thought until
	I was pregnant with my 2yr old.  Then my doctor told me to try to
	stay away from it, since it's affects weren't really known.  So I
	mostly stayed away from it, just like I mostly stayed away from
	caffeine.  But if I occasionally had something with nutrasweet in
	it, I didn't get overly worried.  I took this same tactic with
	my second pregnancy and we have two healthy little girls now.

	Good luck, do what you feel comfortable with,
	Karen

I drink diet drinks with nutrasweet all of the time, but I won't let my
kids have them until they are much older, and I avoided them when pregnant.
It's not that nutrasweet (or saccrin) have been proven bad for you in
these amounts, it's just that they don't know.

Because of that, I'd rather be safe than sorry.

     Carol

    I was told by my doctorthat there have been links made between
    nutrasweet and PKU (a brain development problem that ranges from mild
    disfunction to severe).  Because of that, I avoided artificial
    sweetners while I was pregnant.  Since I mostly drank water or milk, I
    didn't find it to be a problem.
    
    judy

   re: PKU,
   
   I've even seen some food products that had a printed label warning
   about this... not sure what it was - it may have been a box of
   Nutrasweet packets - I don't remember.  But the warning was clear.
   
   - Tom
   

>   I've even seen some food products that had a printed label warning
>   about this... not sure what it was - it may have been a box of
>   Nutrasweet packets - I don't remember.  But the warning was clear.

Products containing aspartame (Nutrasweet) all warn phenylketonurics
against ingesting it.

    Knew someone that worked for the FDA.  His recommendation...run do not
    walk away from Nutrasweet.  A lot of the effects we won't even see for
    20 years.  This stuff should never have been approved, etc., etc., etc.
    Pretty much convinced me to stay away even when I'm not pregnant!

    I used common sense when I was PG and subsequently after my son was
    born (2 months premature).  I know there is today controversy about
    honey, but I used that as a sweetner instead of sugar, as well as 
    made all my son's baby food and sweetened that with honey.
    
    For a premie, he was healthy as a horse (thank God ;-)
    
    Good luck!
    
    Judie
    

    I asked my doctor about this when I was pregnant the 2nd time [7.5
    years ago already!] I asked if it was better to be sugar free and caffeine
    free, caffeine free only, or sugar free only.  He asked how much
    sugar-free was I talking about, I answered 1 can/day, and he basically
    told me not to worry.  Shaina is a  delightfully laid=back 7.5 year old, 
    as normal as any child that age can be!  On the other hand, my 11.5 year 
    old, with whom I didn't have to worry about sugar free cause they weren't 
    as available back then [or i didn't drink as much, i don't remember which] 
    is the most active, busy child....
    
    sandy
    

    My doctor absolutely forbade me to have any Nutrasweet or Saccherine
    whatsoever.  He mentioned Nutrasweet on more than one visit, so I
    knew he was serious.  He said it's a chemical, and it CAN cause
    complications.  He said he's much rather see me drink a soda with
    sugar in it than consume ANY Nutrasweet.  Fortunately I like tea
    plain so was able to make caffein-free ice tea.

I've been trying to avoid nutrasweet (all sweeteners really) in 
the food and drink I give to my son, and I've found it to be 
quite difficult.

I thought it would be easy to just avoid the low-calorie or 
sugar-free drinks. This turned out to be wrong.

When I actually looked at the labels, almost all the fizzy 
drinks and concentrated fruit cordials contained some type of 
sweetener as well as sugar.

The only ones I've found without sweeteners were fizzy apple 
juice and original blackurrent Ribena.

It's so difficult to know what to do.
Some health officials in England seem to recommend low sugar
drinks to save kids teeth. Others relate it to hyperactivity 
in kids.

I don't know about the risks to unborn babies. I'd try to 
avoid it but not worry about the odd glass.

As other noters have said, it's another chemical that the 
effects of won't be known for years.

Heather

	My husband and I drink "juice sparklers" at home.  We
	start with a glass of seltzer water, filled about 3/4 full,
	then add a bit of fruit juice (made from 100% juice).  You
	can vary the amount of juice you add depending on your tastes.

	It does, in the strict sense, contain a sweetener, but it's
	not added sugar or nutrasweet. 

	
	I gave up virtually all caffeine and artificial sweeteners
	when I was pregnant.  I just didn't feel it was worth any
	potential risk.  Also, I kept the same habits while nursing.

	I've since gone back to caffeine and some Diet Coke, but still
	use sugar in my coffee (and in anything but soda, I try to avoid
	nutrasweet).

	Karen

    
    The reason you shouldn't have nutrasweet (aspartame) is that until
    the baby is born you don't know whether it might be a phenylektonuric
    (PKU) They test that right after the baby is born.
    
    So if your child is one this stuff is harmful to those people
    who cannot tolerate it...
    
    Also never give a child honey before 12 months old..honey contains
    spores which can give a small child botulism...
    
    Hope that helps!
    

    My 6 year old son is diabetic.  Without Nutrasweet the only drink he
    could have at any time would be water.  With Nutrasweet (or saccharin)
    he can have soda, lemonade, hot chocolate, etc.
    
    I'm not happy that he has to use artificial sweeteners but they do help
    make his life alot more "normal".
    
    Linda

    Hmmmmmm .... trying to remember this, since I'm diabetic, and
    nutrasweet and sweet n' low are a daily part of my diet ...
    
    .17 has it the closest for pregnancy.  I believe the "whole" story is
    that aspartame (nutrasweet) contains the amino acid, phenylalanine, that 
    people with PKU lack the ability to break down.  It builds up in the
    system and eventually causes some sort of brain misfiring/malfunction.  
    Essentially, brain damage.  Without exposure to the chemical, you might
    never know the disease exists.
    
    Being pregnant, you don't know if you're baby is PKU or not, and if
    the baby does, you expose the child to this possibility.  If your baby
    were born you wouldn't feed it anything with phenylalanine (if you knew
    it was a PKU)
    
    If you don't *HAVE* to take it for any reason, I'd suggest to avoid it.
    Between saccharine and nutrasweet, when I was pregnant the Dr
    definitely preferred me to stick to nothing or to saccharine - and in
    limited quantities.  
    
    That heal blood-test they do on the newborn, is the PKU test.  Been
    doing that "forever" as far as I know (and at LEAST 10 years
    routinely).  PKU is **NOT** a problem unless you ingest
    phenylalanine, and then when you do, it's essentially like a poison
    to phenylketonurics, and I believe the damage caused is cumulative.
    One soda is bad, two is worse etc etc.
    
    And the warning on the diet sodas goes (near the ingredients);
    
    PHENYLKETONURICS: CONTAINS PHENYLALANINE
    
    I thought it used to be more verbose than that .....
    

    Another vote for no nutrasweet (per the doctor) while you're pregnant.
    
    What I find most interesting is that 30-40+ years ago, when our mothers
    were pregnant, they had all kinds of different drugs and medications
    that they would give to pregnant women.  Now, 30-40 years later, they
    tell us not to take ANYTHING.
    
    I had a very difficult pregnancy from the start (my daughter is a
    fertility baby), and I decided to avoid ANYTHING that was not from
    "nature", if at all possible.  Going without nutrasweet is tough (watch
    the sugar as well, I developed gestational diabetes), but they have those
    sparking waters.  Of course every time I drank a glass I'd clutch my
    throat and tell my husband how much I HATED it, but it was better than
    nothing.   
    
    Same with a hair perm, you're not suppose to have one of those either
    if you're pregnant.  The list just goes on and on.  But think of it
    another way ... is it really worth those few minutes of pleasure, only
    to take the chance of having problems with your child for the rest of
    their life?  If they even THINK that nutrasweet MIGHT cause problems,
    I feel it's worth the "sacrifice" for those short 9 months.  (Okay,
    those really long, grueling, and miserable 9 months, but it's well
    worth the effort when it's over.  Of course, I was ready to put a
    postage stamp on my 14-month old daugther's forehead the other day and
    mail her to my mom, but that's another note... )

    My (original) doctor didn't mention the nutrasweet thing at all, which 
    is funny, because he's a very careful sort, for the most part.  Made me
    take every test possible, had me filling out this fetal movement chart
    every night, etc.  I have a new doctor now, because I moved to a new
    state at 31 weeks, and he didn't mention it either.  Plenty of other
    restrictions, especially now where I am living in the desert, but
    nothing about nutrasweet.  Odd, huh?
    
    I don't have to worry about perms, 'cause I've got plenty of curl, but
    I have heard some doctors say no-no, and some say not until after the
    20th week.  Most hairstylists will not guarantee a perm done during
    pregnancy, particularly if you are taking the pre-natal vitamins,
    because your hormones and the high vitamin levels can combine to make
    the curl fall out in a week.
    
    M.