‘Alcohol and pregnancy don’t mix’

She added: “The earlier we can provide factual information and practical guidance to prospective mothers and their partners, the better the outcome will be for their baby”.

“FASD is a devastating condition, yet it is entirely preventable”, he says.

Forum organiser Christine Rogan, of the Fetal Alcohol Network of NZ, said it was time DHBs got enough funding to assess, diagnose and treat the children who were falling through the cracks.

NAN has advocated for years for a provincial strategy and targeted mandate for FASD prevention, intervention and support.

Dr Diana Leaver, NHS Borders community paediatrician, said: “Children affected by FASD often show a variety of learning difficulties and behavioural problems and may be regarded as being wilful or undisciplined, when in fact they have little control over their behaviour”.

“He still struggles with remembering to write down assignments, remembering to turn in homework, but he does well and his teachers really understand him, his teachers get him and most importantly his teachers are willing to work with my wife and I just making sure that everyday is a success for him”, Akers said.

Ari Schablein, who has a Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, or FASD, says she stopped drinking when she found out she was pregnant. “Changes of school, suspensions and expulsions feature a lot in the lives of these children and their families, despite the best efforts of those concerned”, Ms Savage commented.

FASD is a term used to describe the range of permanent birth defects caused by prenatal exposure to alcohol, including intellectual difficuties, hyperactivity, memory problems and growth deficiencies. She says she started skipping school as a result, and, later, she started drinking.

The national charity for alcohol-related issues is urging pregnant women to avoid alcohol altogether during pregnancy. A Parent-Child Assistance Program is offered in 25 communities across the province, and 80 per cent of women who complete the program go on to have planned pregnancies and healthy children.

One government supported non-profit, however, says the practice is a unsafe one. “You can still feel pressure to drink and therefore you need to have that support”.

Half of all pregnancies in North America are unplanned, which means many women are drinking before they know they are pregnant.

“It’s bad to live with this, but I’m one of the lucky ones”.