Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what information is provided to women to try to prevent foetal alcohol spectrum disorders.

Information on numbers of patients with foetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) receiving treatment on the National Health Service is not collected centrally.

The United Kingdom Chief Medical Officers’ low risk drinking guidelines advise women who are pregnant or think they could become pregnant that the safest approach is not to drink alcohol at all, to reduce risks to the baby to a minimum.

As part of the Maternity Transformation Programme, Public Health England (PHE) is leading work to provide prevention-focused leadership to support a reduction in the proportion of women drinking alcohol during pregnancy. Midwives and health visitors also have a role in providing clear, consistent advice and early identification and support. Additionally PHE’s Start4Life programme also provides online information on the impact of drinking alcohol during pregnancy, including the risk of FASD.

The Department for Education through the Adoption Support Fund has made funding available to local authorities to support adopted children with a range of specialist assessments and therapy to treat a variety of conditions. This includes FASD.