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The Alcohol Advisory Council is warning pregnant women and those intending to become pregnant to avoid all alcohol.

Why?

• When you drink, so does your baby.

• Alcohol is carried through the placenta by your blood stream.

• Drinking during pregnancy can cause brain damage to your baby and that damage is permanent.

• This damage is called Fetal Alcohol Syndrome or FAS for short.

• FAS babies grow into FAS children and adults who have learning disabilities and behaviour problems, and most need to be looked after, forever.

• Some babies have a number, but not all of the symptoms and that is called partial-FAS.  The consequences can be as severe as if they had full FAS.

Can I Drink at All?

• Even 1 or 2 drinks can affect your baby’s learning.  Drinking more than that increases the risks of greater damage.

• It does not matter whether it is beer, wine, spirits or RTDs (Ready To Drink) – all contain alcohol.

• Although this damage does not always happen when a mother drinks (which explains why some pregnant women have had the odd drink without apparent harm to their baby) it is impossible to know when harm will occur.

• Therefore, it you don’t drink you can be certain your baby will not have FAS.

What about breastfeeding?

• Plunket advises that it is best not to drink at all when breastfeeding.  Alcohol passes to your baby in your breast milk and their brain cells are still forming.  When you drink, less milk is produced and the alcohol can also make your baby irritable and unsettled.

What can I do?

• If you think or know you are pregnant, do not drink alcohol until after your baby is born.

• If you have been drinking during your pregnancy, then stop drinking now.

• It is never too late and stopping now will help your baby be healthy.  It  is worth it to go without alcohol for a few months to have a healthy baby.

• If it is hard to stop drinking, it might help to talk to someone you trust.  Or you could ring the Alcohol Helpline on 0800 787 797.  They are good listeners and will have some helpful ideas.

• Family and friends could also support you in your decision not to drink alcohol while you are pregnant.

Some facts:

•  Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) and Fetal Alcohol Effects (FAE) are 100 percent preventable.

• There are no known safe levels of alcohol consumption during pregnancy.  The best advice is that women should avoid drinking if they are pregnant, planning to become pregnant or at risk of becoming pregnant.

•  One of the most severe effects of drinking during pregnancy is FAS, which includes physical deformities and brain damage.  FAS represents the severe end of the spectrum.

• Damage can occur at any time during pregnancy and the severity of the effects does not necessarily correspond to the level of alcohol intake.

• In spite of increasing knowledge about the effects of drinking during pregnancy, babies continue to be exposed to high amounts of alcohol.

• In 1999 a New Zealand study found that 81 percent of pregnant women drank alcohol and 20 percent continued after confirmation of the pregnancy.

• Birth defects associated with prenatal alcohol exposure can occur in the first few weeks of pregnancy before a woman knows she is pregnant.

• Present estimates of the prevalence of FAS/FAE in the NZ population are 2-3 per 1,000 live births for FAS and 4-5 per 1,000 live births for FAE.  For comparison, NZ estimates for Cystic Fibrosis 1 per 3,000, Cerebral Palsy 1-2.6 per 1,000 and Downs Syndrome 1 per 1,000 live births.

• Young women are drinking more and to the point of intoxication raising issues around unplanned, unprotected sex and pregnancy.

• FAS and FAE can occur from just one heavy drinking occasion.

This information has been sourced from the Alcohol Advisory Council and has been re-produced in accordance with copyright regulations as published on their web site.  Copyright © Alcohol Advisory Council.