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Alcohol

When you’re pregnant, every time you drink alcohol (eg, beer, wine, spirits or RTDs) your baby is affected by the alcohol too. All alcohol is carried in your bloodstream through the whenua/placenta to your baby.

Drinking alcohol during pregnancy will increase the risk that your baby will have lifelong problems. There’s a risk that your baby’s growth and brain development will be affected causing behavioural difficulties.

In some cases, babies will be born with distinctive facial features , but most babies affected by alcohol will not have those features. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is the diagnostic term used to describe the range of problems that can occur. The more you drink, the greater the risk that your baby will have these kinds of severe and lifelong problems.

Drugs

Recreational drugs (such as cannabis) can cause problems to you and your baby. Your baby may miscarry, be born too early or have a dangerously low birth weight. Drugs such as methamphetamine can cause significant harm to your baby, including brain damage and birth defects. Other drugs such as heroin may cause your baby to be born drug dependent and suffer from withdrawal symptoms. Drug-dependent babies need expert care if they are to survive.

The use of more than one drug (including alcohol and tobacco) will increase the risks to you and your baby.

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)

Babies exposed to alcohol before birth may develop fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). FASD can cause problems including:

  • low birth weight
  • distinctive facial features
  • heart defects
  • behavioural problems
  • intellectual disability.

There is no cure for FASD and its effects last a lifetime.

Alcohol and the risk to unborn babies

If you drink alcohol during pregnancy, your unborn baby is exposed to similar levels of alcohol as you are. The alcohol crosses from your blood through the placenta and into the baby’s bloodstream.

Alcohol can:

  • stop your unborn baby’s nervous system (including the brain) from developing properly
  • cause changes in the development of your baby’s face, resulting in the typical FASD facial features.

Risk factors for FASD

FASD occurs in babies exposed to alcohol during pregnancy, but not all babies exposed to alcohol have FASD.

The biggest risk factors are:

  • the amount of alcohol drunk, especially over a short time
  • how often alcohol is drunk throughout the pregnancy.

Frequent binge drinking puts your baby at the most risk.

Where to get help

If you’re pregnant and worried that your drinking might be harmful, talk to your GP or midwife.

The Alcohol Drug Helpline is also available for free, confidential information, help and support:

Diagnosing FASD

If you drank alcohol while you were pregnant, and have concerns about your child’s development, it may be helpful to talk to your GP who may choose to make a referral for an assessment for FASD. An accurate diagnosis is important. It can help you and your child to get the support they need.

There is no specific medical test for FASD. A diagnosis requires input from a range of professionals including a doctor and a psychologist. It will be based on:

  • their knowledge of your child’s exposure to alcohol before birth
  • the diagnostic criteria for FASD

In severe cases, FASD may be diagnosed at birth, but often the diagnosis occurs later, when the child is having problems with learning or behaviour. Sometimes, the condition may never be diagnosed.

If you’re worried about your child, talk to your GP or Well Child nurse.

Support for people with FASD

FASD cannot be cured but it can be managed. There are limited FASD-specific programmes in New Zealand but help may be available in your area for learning, communication and behaviour issues and for intellectual disabilities.

Talk to your GP or Well Child nurse about getting help for your child. If your child is at school, you can also talk to their teacher. You may also find the following website useful: https://www.healthnavigator.org.nz/health-a-z/f/fetal-alcohol-spectrum-disorder-fasd/

Prevalence of FASD

There is no data on the prevalence of FASD in New Zealand, but international studies and expert opinion suggest that around 3 to 5 percent of people may be affected by the effects of alcohol exposure before birth. This implies that around 1800–3000 babies may be born with FASD each year in New Zealand.

Mothers share their feelings

I needed sleep – just a little bit”

I couldn’t trust”

I built a barrier”

I feared losing ANOTHER baby – I wasn’t letting them near me”

I was being selfish”

I knew it was bad for me”

Once you are in the system – you are in it”

It’s hard to get out of the system”

We are born into it – it has been like this for generations – that’s the way it is for us”

All of our generations are in the system – even before we do anything wrong”

There is no forgiveness by the system”

- from a Petal Foundation workshop.

Thank you to all the mothers for sharing!

Need help now?

If you are using drugs, talk to your midwife (or specialist doctor), doctor or nurse. They will be able to refer you to a local service for help and support. The Alcohol Drug Helpline is also available for free, confidential information, help and support:

24/7 FREE CALL

0800 787 797

FREE TEXT

8681

If you are using drugs, talk to your midwife (or specialist doctor), doctor or nurse. They will be able to refer you to a local service for help and support. The Alcohol Drug Helpline is also available for free, confidential information, help and support:

24/7 FREE CALL

0800 787 797

FREE TEXT

8681