Drinking while pregnant ‘harms 1 in 6 children’

Women drinking during pregnancy could be causing birth defects in as many as one in six children. A UK study tracked almost 14,000 children and, in total, 17 per cent were found to have symptoms of foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), a lifelong condition that can include growth deficiency.

WOMEN drinking during pregnancy could be causing birth defects in as many as one in six children, research suggests.

A UK study tracked almost 14,000 children and assessed whether they had symptoms of foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD).

In total, 17 per cent were found to have signs of the lifelong condition, which can include growth deficiency, distinctive facial features and impaired learning. And the research suggests that 79 per cent of all children had been exposed to some level of alcohol during pregnancy.

A charity for those affected by FASD said the findings from the University of Bristol and Cardiff University showed the problem was “staggeringly widespread”.

But others expressed caution over the findings, saying they did not prove that the symptoms were caused by alcohol intake in pregnancy. Almost one in five of those whose children screened positive for the disorder had said they had not touched alcohol during pregnancy.

The British Pregnancy Advisory Service urged “real caution” over the findings, saying many of the impairments associated with FASD may be symptomatic of other conditions, or linked to other socio-economic factors.

The study followed the development of 13,495 children from birth until the age of 15. A positive FASD screen was defined as problems with at least three different areas of learning or behaviour, with or without physical anomalies. These anomalies include growth deficiency and distinctive facial features, such as a thin upper lip and small eye openings, as well as behavioural and learning problems.

Dr Cheryl Mcquire, researcher in epidemiology and alcohol-related outcomes at the University of Bristol, led the research, which is published in the journal Preventative Medicine.

“Our results showed that a significant number of children screened positive for features consistent with FASD,” Dr Mcquire said. “The results are based on a screening tool, which is not the same as a formal diagnosis. Nevertheless … these results are important because without UK estimates of FASD prevalence, awareness will remain low and children, teenagers and adults will continue to find it difficult to seek diagnosis and to access the support they may need.”

The UK has the fourth highest level of pre-natal alcohol use in the world but the research is the first to estimate how many people may have FASD.