The message of ‘no alcohol while pregnant’ may be simple, but health experts say getting people to take it onboard has proved difficult.
FASD is an umbrella term for a group of permanent, life-long and irreversible conditions caused by the effects of alcohol on a foetus, and Foetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is the most extreme
High rate
François Grobbelaar, founder of FASfacts, said the reason for the high rate of FASD in South Africa is because of a lack of knowledge about the disorder. He said there needed to be more awareness of the condition in rural areas and on farms where “people start drinking at an early age and don’t have limits”.
Leana Olivier CEO of the Foundation for Alcohol Related Research South Africa said women should be aware that FASD is a life-long disease and there is no amount of alcohol that is safe for a pregnant woman to drink.
“Any amount of liquor can cause brain damage or physical development damage to an unborn child. I want to plead with doctors and nurses out there to not tell their patients that one or two glass of wine is fine. It is not fine. If you are pregnant you should stay away from alcohol,” Olivier said.
An edited version of this story was published by Health24.
