It's a disorder than can challenge people both physically and emotionally, and it could be affecting many Canadians without them even knowing it.
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, or FASD, is getting more attention recently. On Saturday, ministers from western provinces and territories met in hopes of finding ways to combat the problem.
Dr. Nazeem Muhajarine, a professor at the University of Saskatchewan, says FASD is often found in children that are born to mothers who drink during pregnancy. A 2003 survey found nearly 14 per cent of pregnant women reported consuming alcohol. “This alcohol gets into the body of the developing child or fetus. And this has a huge range of consequences for the child.”
But diagnosing children with FASD can be difficult. Some physical symptoms like birth defects can stand out, but other symptoms, such as memory problems and short attention span, can be less noticeable.
To raise awareness and work collectively towards prevention, the northwest FASD partnership meets each year. It's a collaboration between seven provinces and territories to come up with strategies and share ideas on how to raise awareness and support those dealing with FASD.
This year, ministers met in Saskatoon to discuss potential initiatives. Social Services Minister June Draude says keeping up on the latest research, and a commitment to a national study on the prevalence of FASD will facilitate program development and inform more comprehensive policy.
“We’re working with the scientific community to discuss things like a prevalence study. Everything in the next couple of years is going to be movements on all fronts,” says Draude.
The partnership will meet again in the fall of 2013 and hopes to have provincial and federal ministers at the table from across the country.
