Ahead of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Awareness Day on 9 September, Australian Netballer Gretel Bueta, DrinkWise and medical practitioners have joined forces to campaign for greater awareness about the preventable condition.
According to the DrinkWise Alcohol and Pregnancy Study 2023, more than nine out of ten Australians (91 per cent) agree that it is safer not to drink alcohol during pregnancy, increasing to 94 per cent in females aged 18-44 years old.
Of those Australian women aged 18-44, 87 per cent said no amount of alcohol should be consumed at any stage of pregnancy, which is higher than in previous years (82 per cent in 2022 and 76 per cent in 2019).
And while the statistics are trending in the right direction, education continues to be crucial, as only 58 per cent of Australians know that FASD is a 100 per cent preventable condition.
Dr Vicki Carson, an Obstetrician who has witnessed the devastating effects of alcohol on new-born babies, said all Australians need to know that while FASD causes irreparable damage, it is preventable if expectant mothers choose not to drink alcohol while trying to conceive and when pregnant and breastfeeding.
“Prenatal exposure to alcohol can reduce the size and weight of the fetal brain. It can also directly damage regions of a baby’s brain that are critical for learning, memory, behaviour, language and decision-making.
“When I see a couple who already has one child affected by FASD, the most common reason I hear is that they didn’t know to avoid or abstain from alcohol during pregnancy or they thought a little bit wouldn’t hurt. And that’s just a reminder how important this campaign is,” she said.
Simon Strahan, CEO of DrinkWise, said it’s encouraging to see more partners and families supporting expectant mothers who choose not to drink when planning a pregnancy, during pregnancy, and while breastfeeding.
“Our research also showed that 55 per cent of partners would encourage their loved ones not to drink when trying to conceive, when pregnant or when breastfeeding. Just over half of all partners (51 per cent) would also stop drinking alcohol altogether and 40 per cent would drink zero alcohol products to support their partners during this important time.
“It’s incredibly encouraging to see more partners are supporting women to abstain from alcohol during their pregnancy journey. This message to abstain from alcohol when planning a pregnancy, when pregnant and when breastfeeding, isn’t just for expectant mothers, it’s for partners, families and the wider community to understand and support too,” she said.
Gretel Bueta, Australian Diamonds Netball star and nutritionist, has partnered with DrinkWise for the campaign just weeks after announcing the birth of her second child.
“I’m really happy to be working with DrinkWise to support this message, as it’s important everyone knows about FASD, including friends and family who can support pregnant women to abstain from alcohol. I was lucky to be surrounded by such a supportive community – Niko, my husband, my family and my netball family. They say it takes a village to raise a child and I’m lucky I have a great village.
“I think most people know to avoid alcohol when they are pregnant but maybe they’re not so aware of the specifics of FASD, so I’m happy to be lending my voice to this campaign to help bring awareness and encourage other mums and mums-to-be to not drink alcohol when they are trying for a baby, when they’re pregnant or when they are breastfeeding,” said Bueta.
Featured image: Gretel Bueta and her new son Toby.
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