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Source: ONE News -
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A guide to help health professionals prevent foetal alcohol syndrome disorder (FASD) and deal with issues of alcohol in pregnancy was launched today by Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne.
An estimated 500 babies are born with foetal alcohol syndrome each year.
Dunne said that, unlike other health risks, FASD was prevalent not only in poor areas or with Maori and Pacific mothers - it was a problem in all areas of society.
Up to 30 percent of women reported not being told of the detrimental affects of drinking when they were pregnant.
Research showed many general practitioners felt ill-equipped to deal with alcohol issues, Mr Dunne said.
The new guide, Alcohol and Pregnancy: A Practical Guide for Health Professionals, would help with that, he said.
The Government was concerned about the adverse effect of alcohol in New Zealand.
"During pregnancy however, no level of consumption should be worth the risk to the unborn child - and that is a message that needs to continually be driven home," Dunne said at the launch of the guide in Auckland this morning.
"I hope this resource will take you one step further towards developing that infrastructure."
The guide was funded by Alcohol Advisory Council and endorsed by the Paediatric Society of New Zealand
