A Pregnant Pause - FASD Day 10th Anniversary

This September saw the 10-year anniversary of International Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Awareness Day held on the ninth day of the ninth month. Everyone participating in the Awareness Day was invited to share in a ‘Minute of Reflection’ at 9:09 am as that time makes its way around the world. “In this magical moment – the ninth minute, of the ninth hour, of the ninth day, of the ninth month - we wanted people to hear the message that in the nine months of pregnancy, while breastfeeding or planning to conceive, women should not drink alcohol,” said Christine Rogan from Alcohol Healthwatch.  “In that minute, we also want the world to remember those who are living with fetal alcohol disorders."  

ALAC Early Intervention Manager Sue Paton said drinking at any time during pregnancy could affect the normal development of the fetus. “The harms that result from pre-natal exposure to alcohol range from mild intellectual and behavioural issues to profound disabilities,” she said.

Research commissioned by ALAC showed that many women still believed a small amount of alcohol would not hurt the fetus, she said.  The research found only 40 percent believed women should abstain altogether from drinking during pregnancy.  Half of the women surveyed said one drink or less was safe to be consumed on a typical drinking occasion in pregnancy. “But in fact there is no known safe level of consumption of alcohol for pregnant women and unfortunately, medical advice on drinking during pregnancy is variable," she said. Ms Paton said there needed to be a stronger public policy response to FASDFetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Consuming alcohol while pregnant may cause significant abnormalities in the unborn, developing baby (fetal alcohol spectrum disorder). Children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, who were exposed to alcohol while in the womb, can have a range of problems including poor growth/small size, facial abnormalities, heart defects, brain damage, developmental delay and social, emotional, behavioural and mental deficits. in New Zealand.

ALAC recommended labelling alcohol containers to caution against drinking during pregnancy and currently had an application for health advisory labels before Food Standards Australia New Zealand. There needed to be consistent messages from health professionals on the dangers of drinking while pregnant, proactive identification, assessment and help for families at risk of being affected by FASD, and research to more accurately ascertain the prevalence of FASD.

Ms Paton said there was little information about the true prevalence of FASD in New Zealand as there had been no population-based prevalence studies.  However, the Ministry of Health estimated there were two to three per thousand live births for FASD and four to five per thousand live births for partial-FASD. There was a danger the rate of FASD in New Zealand might increase because the prevalence of potentially hazardous drinking among women of child-bearing age was increasing.

Every year International FASD Awareness Day is held on the 9th day of the 9th month to symbolise the 9 months of pregnancy. The aim of this awareness day is to have Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) more widely recognised, understood and prevented. FASD is a term used to describe a range of developmental disorders that can happen to an unborn baby when a pregnant woman consumes alcohol.  The effects may be life-long and can range from the most subtle behavioural and learning difficulties to more severe forms of brain damage resulting in alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorders or Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.  These are all entirely preventable if drinking stops at that all-important developmental stage of life.