Pregnancy lasts for nine months, but the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure can last a lifetime.
Alcohol crosses the placenta to the fetus and is toxic to the unborn child. Its effects cannot be predicted—they are highly variable and unfortunately permanent. Alcohol can cause fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD).
Science has not been able to establish a time during pregnancy when alcohol is safe. The consequences of alcohol use on the fetus are influenced by different factors such as:
Charly has fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). This is manifested in a difficulty in finding her bearings, expressing herself and making friends. The short videos show how this disorder complicates her life. A number of other consequences of alcohol use during pregnancy are possible and 9 times out of 10, we don’t see them physically.
It’s not because we suddenly decide to start a family that, our physical and social environment changes to help us stop drinking alcohol for 9 months. In Quebec, alcohol is omnipresent in our lives, and, for some pregnant women, this makes abstinence even more difficult.
To prevent FASD, we need to talk about alcohol. However, talking about alcohol use during pregnancy is still taboo and can be tricky.
Discover our tools to better support expectant mothers and their loved ones during pregnancy monitoring, in schools and across all walks of life.
Do you have questions about your pregnancy or the pregnancy of someone close to you? Are you interested in finding out about organizations that offer support to stop alcohol use during pregnancy? Are you looking for support on how to live with FASD day-to-day?
Here are some essential resources.
The more our society is aware of the impacts of alcohol use during pregnancy and FASD, the easier it will be to support expectant mothers in abstaining from alcohol during this stage of their lives as well as support people with FASD and their families.
Contribute to this movement by sharing information with your friends and family!
Instagram account for the #alcoholfreepregnancy campaign
We would like your opinion regarding our website fasd-alcoholfreepregnancy.ca. Thanks for completing this brief survey.