Regarding the Aug. 26 Associated Press story “Coffee, wine and sushi! New pregnancy book says OK”: As the mother of a son who has been diagnosed on the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum, I read with interest the comments of Emily Oster, economist and author of “Expecting Better: Why the Conventional Pregnancy Wisdom is Wrong — and What You Really Need to Know.”  

She cautions against heavy or binge drinking as very dangerous but advocates that an occasional glass of wine does not seem to pose a problem and could be beneficial.

From birth, my son has struggled from his parental exposure to alcohol. Throughout his childhood, he failed to reach developmental milestones. His academic years were spent in special-needs classrooms. While his peers reached their adolescent years, matured and transitioned into typical adulthood, his damaged brain didn’t.    

As a 24-year-old man, his world has changed little. He continues to require the level of supervision and redirection of a younger person. He will never outgrow FASD. The damage is permanent.

I sometimes wonder what his life might have been like. I can see glimpses. He’s very athletic, artistic and creative. He has a wonderful sense of humor. I wonder what he would have done with those gifts outside of the Developmental Disabilities world he lives in.

As blessed as I feel he is, finally finding his place in the world, I every so often still grieve the loss.

Because he was adopted, I don’t know how much alcohol was consumed during the pregnancy. I think Ms. Oster and I could agree that had there been no alcohol use during his pregnancy, my son would not have brain damage from parental alcohol exposure.

It is imperative that all women of child-bearing years are aware that FASD is the one birth defect that is 100 percent preventable. Why take the chance?