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A lot of progress has been made on effective FASD awareness and prevention strategies. Early efforts often used disrespectful tactics like unsettling pictures of women slugging down alcohol from a bottle while pregnant with a caption such as “Baby or the Bottle.” Those approaches have largely been abandoned. But one overly simple statement still pops up. And that is, “FASD is 100% Preventable.”
That statement is misleading because it suggests that FASD prevention is unidimensional and linked only to alcohol consumption. But alcohol use during pregnancy is linked to the social determinants of health, and its effects can be exacerbated by food insecurity, trauma, poverty and multi-substance use. It also suggests that stopping drinking is a simple choice. It puts the onus on the individual woman to make that choice and contributes to shame if they do not stop before they become pregnant. But in reality, there are many influences on women’s alcohol use, and real challenges to quitting before you know you are pregnant. Indeed, almost half of pregnancies are unplanned, so it is very challenging to be alcohol free before a pregnancy is confirmed.
In the case of other substances like tobacco or prescription painkillers, the public discourse extends beyond the individual user to corporate responsibilities, physicians and health authorities to provide harm reduction and treatment programs, and of governments to provide regulation and enforcement and policies that work toward social equity.
If we extend this perspective to alcohol use during pregnancy, we must speak about the responsibilities of the alcohol industry for targeting girls and women of childbearing age, and of health providers for providing comprehensive education and brief support during the preconception and prenatal periods. We must also consider the responsibilities of health services for providing integrated treatment programs for pregnant and parenting women; and of governments for ensuring gender equity and preventing violence against women.
Theoretically, stopping alcohol use in pregnancy, or ideally, before, sounds simple – just do it. But it takes a lot of individuals and sectors to do their part to make it realizable. Simplifying it to statements like “FASD is 100% preventable” is not the best approach.
These previous blogs illustrate the full context of FASD and prevention approaches.
HOUSING IS KEY COMPONENT TO WOMEN’S RECOVERY, August 19, 2017
TARGETING STIGMA AND FASD IN MANITOBA, June 26, 2017
HEAVY DRINKING AMONG WOMEN: NORMALISING, MORALISING AND THE FACTS, Jan 24, 2017
FASD IS A PUBLIC SAFETY AND JUSTICE PRIORITY FOR ABORIGINAL GROUPS, October 23, 2016
HOW DO PARTNERS AFFECT WOMEN’S ALCOHOL USE DURING PREGNANCY? August 11, 2014
Developed by the Saskatchewan Prevention Institute, the FASD Training Package for Post-Secondary Instructors is a resource for post-secondary instructors and professors.
The focus of the resource is on understanding and preventing FASD. It can be used to provide information and education about Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) to students enrolled in professional programs leading to a career working with women of child bearing age.
Examples of programs include that this resource might be helpful for include: health care, education, justice, addictions, psychology, social work, and other community services’ programs (e.g., Early Childhood Education, Disability Support Worker, and Correctional Studies.)
The teaching package contains 11 modules with references. These modules provide evidence-based information on topics such as “What is FASD”, “Alcohol, Women, and Pregnancy”, “Prevention of FASD”, and “Primary and Secondary Disabilities”.
A downloadable PowerPoint with teaching notes is ready for use in class. Both the PowerPoint and written modules contain case studies, activities, and discussion questions that may be used with any group.
Download the package from the Saskatchewan Prevention Institute’s website.
HerWay Home in Victoria, BC is organizing a community conference and networking event for September 29, 2014.
HerWay Home is a child-focused, women-centred, family-oriented drop-in and outreach program for pregnant women and new moms with substance use challenges and their children.
When: Monday September 29, 2014
Where: DaVinci Centre, 195 Bay Street, Victoria
Time: 09:00 – 4:00
Cost: Free to those attendees from Vancouver Island. A minimal charge of $50 to attendees from off the island.
Who should attend: HWH works with women who are pregnant or early parenting and also affected by substance use, mental health issues, violence, and trauma. This conference will be of interest to those working with women or in settings that are more focused on working with the baby (such as the NICU, foster care etc.), along with those working on the social determinants of health such as housing, poverty, food security.
Registration information will be available in August. For more information or if you have any questions please contact HerWay Home at Herwayhome@viha.ca
For more information about HerWay Home, see earlier posts:
- HerWay Home Program for Pregnant Women and New Mothers in Victoria, BC (February 12, 2013)
- Supporting Pregnant and Parenting Women Who Use Substances: What Communities are Doing to Help (October 1, 2012)
