Help for alcohol syndrome parents

Accurate research into the condition is difficult

A helpline has been launched to help the parents of children with Foetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS).

The advice line was set up by Borders-based group Foetal Alcohol Syndrome Scotland.

Convener Jane Murphy said the condition was more widespread than the medical profession would have people believe.

However, doctors and alcohol campaigners said there was concern that mothers were being given conflicting advice on how much alcohol they could safely drink.

There is no evidence that small amounts of alcohol do any harm.

Dr Mary Hepburn

Ms Murphy said: "The myth is that it is just alcoholics and binge drinkers that have children with FAS, but it's not that at all.

"You could just have a couple of drinks a week here and there and then still end up with a child with full blown Foetal Alcohol Syndrome.

"There are 28 [children] a week in the UK alone affected with foetal alcohol syndrome and there are 140 a week with alcohol affected neurological disorders.

"Those could be learning difficulties, behavioural problems, attention deficit hyper disorder - a multitude of problems."

However, consultant obstetrician Dr Mary Hepburn said: "I know of no statistics to back up their claims.

"We don't have good statistics on the incidence of FAS but, in our service, we look after a fair number of women in Glasgow who are pregnant and who have alcohol problems.

"We have seen a tiny number of cases over the years. I do think these numbers sound exaggerated upwards.

Mothers are concerned for their baby's health

"We don't know for certain what causes it. It is clearly not purely alcohol, because it is not a dose-related phenomenon.

"We can see women who consume huge amounts of alcohol and whose babies are perfectly healthy and women who drink relatively small amounts whose babies do have FAS."

"So, there must be other factors affecting the likelihood of FAS.

Cath Cakebread, of the Scottish Council on Alcohol, said: "I think there is a lot of confusion, which I think puts stress on women.

"It worries me that women are not enjoying their pregnancies as they should because of the stress and the uncertainty."

Dr Hepburn said: "It is actually quite difficult to do a really good scientific study.

"We can observe the outcomes, but because FAS is such an uncommon outcome, even if we pooled all the information from the whole country, we still wouldn't have an awful lot of cases.

"There is no evidence that small amounts of alcohol do any harm."

Advice line: 01450 371357