Study More children than expected suffer from a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder

Why should not pregnant women drink alcohol??

If mothers consume alcohol during pregnancy, it can lead to significant health problems in the offspring. Researchers have now found that up to 17 percent of children have symptoms of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) because their mothers drank during pregnancy.

The researchers from Bristol University and Cardiff University found in their joint recent study that many children suffer from a so-called fetal alcohol spectrum disorder because their mothers drank during pregnancy. The physicians published the results of their study in the English-language journal "Preventive Medicine".

What indicates a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder?

The condition is diagnosed by a number of mental and physical problems of a child, including some prominent facial features such as a small head, small eyes and a thin upper lip. The disease can be associated with learning difficulties and mood problems, say the experts.

Alcohol during pregnancy?

So far it has been estimated that between two and five percent of children in the United Kingdom have the disorder due to their mother's alcohol consumption during their pregnancy, the authors explain. Alcohol crosses the placental border and the growing baby can not handle the alcohol well, resulting in damage to the brain and body cells. At just over 40 per cent, the United Kingdom has one of the highest levels of alcohol use in pregnancy, surpassed only by Ireland, Belarus and Denmark.

Data from nearly 13,500 children were evaluated

For the new study, data from nearly 13,500 children born in the 1990s and whose families joined a large ongoing study were analyzed. Scientists developed a screening tool to analyze the data and to assess whether children born to a woman who had drunk alcohol during pregnancy have symptoms of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.

How many mothers drank alcohol during pregnancy?

The experts found that 79 percent of mothers drank alcohol during pregnancy. Between six and 17 percent of the children in the study showed symptoms of FASD, depending on the exact way the physicians performed the screening. The high rates of prenatal alcohol intake and FASD-related symptoms identified in the study indicate that FASD is likely to pose a significant public health problem in the UK, the authors of the study explain.

Women should not panic immediately

Many women drank before they even knew they were pregnant. However, panic is inappropriate here. Otherwise, if the risk is overrated or distorted, it may cause some women to consider terminating a desired pregnancy, or to spend the pregnancy with guilt and anxiety. (As)