Severe Effects For Pregnant Drinkers

One baby is born with a severe disorder every day in the North East because their mum was drinking during pregnancy.

That’s according to new research from alcohol group Balance. They’re campaigning for the government to bring in consistent guidelines urging women to avoid drinking alcohol altogether when pregnant.

A North East family is backing the campaign after experiencing the affects first hand.

Linda Venus from Kenton, Newcastle has a daughter with Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). Seven year old Kaitlyn was diagnosed with the condition last year and suffers from many brain and body defects, they include: stunted growth, struggling at school, struggling to eat, sleeping just two hours each night, OCD, ADHD, heightened senses and a 15 second working memory. Kaitlyn also doesn’t feel pain so when she has an emotional breakdown she will self-harm.

The mum of four and her husband Mick adopted Kaitlyn when she was eight months old knowing that her biological mother had struggled with drink and drug problems during her pregnancy.

It took years of tests and misdiagnosis before Kaitlyn’s condition was identified.

Linda said:

“Kaitlyn ticked all the boxes for FASD; not sleeping, not developing, not growing properly. She also had very slight facial issues, which you can’t really notice anymore, and I kept saying to the doctors that it might be FASD.”

“Kaitlyn still struggles with things like memory loss and she has no sense of endangerment but now that she has been diagnosed it will make things easier in terms of getting her the right support that she needs to flourish.”

“In my experience as a parent of a child with FASD, there appears to be a lack of awareness of the condition. I meet so many people who have no idea what it is and I wasn’t even fully aware of FASD until Kaitlyn came into my life.”

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) advises women who are pregnant to avoid alcohol in the first three months in particular, because of the increased risk of miscarriage. However, researchers don’t know how much alcohol is safe to drink when pregnant. They do know that the risk of damage to your unborn baby increases the more you drink and that binge drinking is especially harmful.

Mary Edwards, Programme Manager Alcohol Treatment at Balance thinks that consistent government guidelines are essential. She said:

“FASD is the most common, non-genetic cause of learning disability in the western world. It’s a lifelong disability with no cure but it is preventable.”

“It’s vitally important that the on-going mixed messages from various health bodies are aligned. The North East’s 12 Directors of Public Health have already backed calls for a consistent message that the safest option for expectant mothers is no alcohol from conception to birth and now it’s time for the Government to do the same.”

For more information on support to cut out alcohol here in the North East visit: http://www.balancenortheast.co.uk/get-help/for-individuals/