Time for a 'pregnant pause' during National Alcohol Awareness Week

During alcohol awareness week health workers are asking pregnant women, or those trying to conceive, to take a ‘pregnant pause’ from alcohol. Alcohol during pregnancy can cause birth defects that can impact the development of the child.

Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) is an umbrella term to describe the problems alcohol can cause. These are a series of preventable birth defects caused entirely by a woman drinking alcohol at any time during her pregnancy.

These defects of the brain and body exist only because of prenatal exposure to alcohol. Often the condition goes undiagnosed, or is misdiagnosed, for example as autism or ADHD. Up to 1% of children might have FASD, with as many as 10% in high-risk groups.

The challenges faced could include: Attention Disorders; Speech and Language Disorders; Mood Disorders; Behavioural Disorders; Autistic Like Behaviours; Visual and Eye Defects; Hearing and Ear Defects; Mouth, Teeth and Facial Defects; Epilepsy and Organ damage.

Department of Health advice states, ‘Pregnant women or women trying to conceive should avoid drinking alcohol. If they do choose to drink, to protect the baby, they should not drink more than 1-2 units of alcohol once or twice a week and should not get drunk. Additional advice from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) advises women to avoid alcohol in the first three months in particular, because of the increased risk of miscarriage’.

During Alcohol Awareness Week health education workers will be speaking to groups of young mums about the risks of alcohol use in future pregnancies. In addition 5,000 ‘rethink your drink’ scratch cards are being distributed through workplaces, GP surgeries and hospitals.

Tina Scarborough, Named Midwife for Safeguarding Children at Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust said, “During this week we are keen to raise awareness of the damage that alcohol can cause during pregnancy. We advise that women should not drink during pregnancy. If they drink then they should have no more than the equivalent of a small glass (125ml) of wine, no more than twice a week.

We are asking that if possible women who are trying to conceive, or who are pregnant take a ‘pause’ in their alcohol use until after the baby is born.

We would also ask that parents should not under any circumstances share a bed with their baby if they have drunk any alcohol. Beware when drinking alcohol as you will still need to be able to respond to your baby's needs.

Alcohol use can make you do things you would not normally do such as falling asleep with your baby in bed or on a sofa which can lead to overheating or suffocation and Sudden Infant death".

14 October 2009