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Writer's pictureJulie Kavanagh

PREGNANCY AND BOOZE - FASD

Updated: Jun 12, 2023


What do you know about FASD?

FASD – Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder is a lifelong Neurological complex disability caused to a child by a mum drinking alcohol whilst pregnant. Life In Motion will be exploring stories about FASD, and the devastating neurological impact drinking when pregnant can have on a child.


The UK and Ireland have 1 of the world's most significant problems with this, and it's increasing. Manchester, unfortunately, has the most children born with exposure to alcohol in the UK today.


FASD is more common in kids than Autism. The shame and secrecy surrounding children impacted by their birth mum drinking isolate their life experiences even more. Think about that; we all know about Autism, but why have most people I speak to never heard of FASD?


My guess is you will have already come across FASD and I suspect when you did, you avoided that 'naughty' child, or the difficult, hard-to-manage, chaotic person at work. You see FASD is all around us. It could be the young lad tearing up the streets, pulling wheelies on their bike with a balaclava over their head; you believe they are up to no good, but maybe they are showing one of the most apparent signs of FASD; Poor Impulse Control and struggle to understand, Cause and Effect.


For adolescents and adults affected by FASD, 61% will experience Disrupted School Experiences, 60%will be in trouble with the Law, and 50% will be in Confinement (in detention, jail, prison, or a psychiatric or alcohol/drug inpatient setting.) 49% will have Inappropriate Sexual Behaviours on repeated occasion, and 35% will experience Alcohol/Drug Problems. - National Library of Medicine.


And here's the worry, just because a kid has FASD, it doesn't mean their mum hangs out at the local off'y downing a cheap bottle of voddy. The fastest-growing concern is middle-class mums who fancy a little tipple here and there. So, if you're knocking back the vino while carrying a bun in the oven, you might want to listen up..........


........1.5 units of Alcohol in the 3rd week of pregnancy can be enough to cause lifelong neurological damage. Scary eh?



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