THANDEKA: Akukho siqinisekiso sokuba umlinganiselo wethamo weenyembezi   zikaVitoliya   kufeneka zibe kangakanani ukudala umonakalo elusaneni olunekazalwa xa unina esela utywala. Kungoko omama bekhuthazwa bangayi ngase rhlasini enennyembezi zika Vitoliya kuba ingozi enokudalwa butywala ayingekhe yalungiswa.    

Translation: It is not clear what quantity of alcohol is needed to cause damage from a mother to her unborn infant. So to ensure the health and safety of the baby, mothers are urged to stop drinking when they are pregnant because once a child is diagnosed with Foetal Alcohol Syndrome there is no way you can rectify it. Dr Nat Khaole, programme director for Alcohol Related Research and the Foetal Alcohol Unit at the University of Cape Town, explains.

 DR KHAOLE: The epidemiological studies that we’€™ve done so far show that on average the prevalence it is about 45 to 48 per 1000 in children of school entering age, that would be 7-year olds, in parts of the Western Cape. The Northern Cape has been looked at the rate is slightly higher they found about 100 to 110 per 1000. In the Gauteng region I don’€™t have the exact figures but they are lower than Western Province and Northern Province. Comparing those prevalence rates with what is documented in the literature for instance in the United States where most of the research has been done simply because the person who gave the condition foetal alcohol syndrome the name is in the United States. They find that the prevalence rate in the areas that have been researched is about 1 to 3 per 1000 you can see the difference.

Translation: Uphanbo esele silwenzile lokujongana nesi sigulo nobungakanani baso siqikelela malunga nama-45 ukya kuma-48 kwiwaka kubantwana abakiwminyaka yokuba baqala isikolo abakiwminyka esixhenxe phaya eNthsona Koloni. EMntla Koloni apho inani lithande ukwenyuka kuqikelelwa malunga nekhulu ukuya kuma kwikhulu elineshumi ewakeni. ERhawuteng andinazo ke izichazi manani kodwa xa ujonga uthekelelisa kwezo sele zibhaliwe phantsi umzekelo eMelika apho uphando kwindawo ezithile sele lwenziwe khona kuba oyena mntu oweza negama iFoetal Alcohol Syndrome eyinzalelwane yalapho bafumanisa ukuba sisithathu kwiwaka abantu abanesi sigulo nawe ke ungawubona umehluko.

THANDEKA: Dr. Khaole says mothers-to-be should stop consuming alcohol as soon as they become aware of their pregnancy. They should think about the future of the unborn child if they decide to drink alcohol as this may cause permanent damage to the baby.

Translation: UGqirha Khaole ithu oomama kufuneka bayeke ukuzintyintya ngotywala xa bezazi ukuba bakhulelwe kufeka bacinge ngekamva lomntwana ongekazalwa. Kuba oku kungadala ingxaki eyakuhlala ihleli.

DR KHAOLE: Well we know that during the first nine weeks which I call formative stages that’€™s when the brain grows faster than all the other organs. We know during those first nine weeks that’€™s when the brain can be damaged. The process itself of how alcohol causes this is still subject to research there’€™s lots of research that is going on irrespective of the fact that it started almost 30 years. One of the critical things, which we look at in a child with foetal alcohol syndrome, is poor growth and that can be measured in terms of height, weight and would indicate that the child is not growing well. Secondly, there must be proof that the mother was taking alcohol during pregnancy. And then we have facial features that we look at. I always say the face is an extension of your brain because how your face develops is actually a reflection of how your brain developed and your eyes. There are features that we look at on your face that will actually be very critical in diagnosing fetal alcohol syndrome. By looking at all those things you get a composite picture that’€™s why it is called a syndrome, it’€™s the signs and symptoms and what you find that constellation of features constitute a syndrome. If all those critical features are there we then make the diagnoses of fetal alcohol syndrome.

Translation: Siyazi ukuba kwinyanga ezilithoba umama ekhulelwe nento endiyibiza iziqendu zokwakheka apho ingqondi ihluma ngokukhawuleza kunawo naphina amanye amalungu omzimba. Siyazi kweezo nyanga zilithoba kulapho ingqondo ingafumana ukwenzakala. Izintlu zokuba utywala bungabangela njani na ingozi oko kusaphandwa. Sele luluninzi uphando olwenziwayo nangona sele kungaphaya kweminyajka engama- 30 kwaqaliswayo nophando. Enye yezinto esizijongayo kumntwana onale ngxaki bubude bakhe, ubunzima bomzimba neyzizinto ezithi zichaze ukuba umntwana akakhuli kakuhle. Okwesibini kufuneka kubekho ubungqina obubonakalisa ukuba ngenene umzalikazi ebesela utywala. Sikwajonga nobuso. Ndihlala ndisithi ubuso ngumfanekiso wengqondo yakho kuba indlela ubuso obukhula ngayo yindlela ebonisa ingqondo ukuba ikhula kanjani namehlo. Sikhona izinto esizijongayo ebusweni bakho nezizinto ezithi zibangele kubelula ukufumana ukuba umntwana unengxaki yotywala obobutyiwa ngunina xa ebesesizalweni.Siye sikwazi ukufumanisa xa sijonga ezo zinto zithile kungoko sisithi zizimbo neempawu sizichaze njenge foetal alcohol syndrome.                  

THANDEKA:   Ingaba ke ukuba lemeko iphazamisa ukukhula kwengqondo kwenzeka ntoni emntwaneni?

 Translation: If Foetal Alcohol Syndrome affects the growth of the brain what happens to a child’€™s mental capacity?

DR KHAOLE: Their IQ is just an indication of how their brain functions. The tendency that has been found through research is that their IQ will be lower than what you would expect for their age. They behave differently in the sense that normally as children grow they learn certain things, with children with fetal alcohol syndrome is been found that they don’€™t learn certain things and those things that they don’€™t learn need to be repeated and repeated. An example will be any child would recognize that something is dangerous and if you burn yourself once you’€™ll know that you won’€™t burn yourself again. But children with foetal alcohol syndrome might not recognize that. Another common thing is children are taught that strangers are not part of the home but you’€™ll find that with foetal alcohol children they are so trusting that even a stranger won’€™t be something that is outside the boundaries of the family. Those are some of the things that indicate that their behaviour is not what you would have expected.                          

THANDEKA: Uthobeka Moletsane ongumongikazi omkhulu ekwajongene necala loomama abasela utywala bekhulelwe kweleNtshona Koloni, nosebenza nabantu basekuhlaleni ekwaqeqesha nabongikazi neentsapho ezithi zichatshazelwe ngulo mba womama abasela bekhulelwe uthi le yingxaki enkulu efuna ukuqwalaselwa.

Translation: Thobeka Moletsane a Senior Nurse and a Foetal Alcohol Syndrome Facilitator in the Western Cape, works closely with the communities offering training to families and nursing staff. She says foetal alcohol syndrome is a big problem that needs attention.

 THOBEKA MOLETSANE: Xa ujongile nalapha ekuhlaleni izinga lokuselwa kotywala luphakame kakhulu ukuqalela kwabantwana besikolo   basela utywala. Ingxaki yabantwana abahamba isikolo ngoku bazakukhula babe ngoomama abakhulelweyo beqhubekeka besela utywala. Ingxaki yokuselwa kotywala iphakame kakhulu.

Translation: There is a high rate of alcohol consumption in our societies, even the school going children are drinking heavily. The problem with school-going children is that they will pursue drinking alcohol and when they grow up to be mothers they will still be drinking even if they are pregnant.  

THANDEKA: Ingaba ke mhlawumbi xa nibabuza abantwana bathi yintoni eyona ngxaki ibenza basele?

Translation: What are young people saying is the reason to drink alcohol?

THOBEKA MOLETSANE: Kukungabi nalwazi lee ngxaki ezinokubangelwa butywala kuba bona basela nje ukuchitha isithukuthezi for nje ukuva kamnandi nokukopa abanye abantu abababona besela kanti enye into yindlela ebuthi utywala bubonakaliswe ngayo kwi TV nakwi Billboards babone abantwana ukuba ngoo sisi abahle aba baphethe iglass yotywala kanti bangayazi bona into yokuba yindlela nje yokuthengisa utywala asikukuba aba bantu ba fotwe phayana bayasela.

Translation: Lack of information about the dangers that alcohol can bring if one drinks. These children drink because they are having fun. Television and billboard adverts show nice pictures of beautiful women who drink and the youth copy them and they forget that it is just an advert and in reality they are not drinking alcohol.              

THANDEKA: Ingaba kubantu abakhulu niqaphela ntoni xa niqeqesha?

Translation: What is the response of adults when you offer training on Alcohol Foetal Syndrome?

THOBEKA MOLETSANE: Kubantu abakhulu uninzi labo abanye sebenabantwana abane fetal alcohol babengazange bayazi indima edlalwa butywala empilweni yomntwana ngelixesha umntu akhulelweyo. Ngoku ke umntu adibane ke ngoku ebona iingxaki zomntwana. Umntwana sele esiya esikolweni engakwazi ukuqhubekeka phambili eskolweni.Xa kusithiwa ke kubuzwa imibuzo eklinikini into yokubana wawusela na ngoku wawunzima abanye bayazisola babuye nganeno ekuseleni.

Translation: Most adults we deal with have children with foetal alcohol syndrome already. They were not aware of the role that alcohol can play in their baby’€™s life when they were pregnant. They come across problems when their children are experiencing difficulties to learn at school. When they are asked at the clinic whether they were drinking alcohol during their pregnancy they show remorse and they retreat from taking alcohol.          

End of  Part  1. Part 2 will look at further research findings and interventions by the Department of Health.

E-mail: Thandeka Teyise