Every Moment Matters

Women who are pregnant or trying to conceive need and expect clear advice on substances that can harm their pregnancy and developing baby – like alcohol. In fact, 97% of women want to know about alcohol and pregnancy and expect their health care provider to bring up the topic.

Yet, one in seven women drink alcohol after becoming aware of their pregnancy and one in four women who are pregnant or would consider having a baby in the near future, are unaware that drinking alcohol during pregnancy can cause Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD).

As one of the most trusted sources of information on pregnancy, health professionals play an important role in communicating the updated National Health and Medical Research Council’s (NHMRC)

Australian Guidelines to reduce health risks from drinking alcohol(the Alcohol Guidelines), that women who are pregnant or planning a pregnancy should not drink alcohol. This can be done by:

• Making it routine practice to ask about alcohol consumption during antenatal visits.
• Reinforcing the benefits of being alcohol-free for mother and baby. 
• Using a validated tool to assess alcohol use.
• Providing tailored support including, when needed, referral to a specialist service for women who are pregnant who need help to stop drinking. 

To assist, the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE) has launched new resources and training for health professionals and Alcohol and other Drug (AOD) Sector workers, that provide evidence-based information about alcohol, pregnancy and breastfeeding, and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). This includes:

• A free, accredited eLearning course which presents the latest evidence about the risks of drinking alcohol during pregnancy, the impact of prenatal alcohol exposure and how to provide advice consistent with the Alcohol Guidelines. 
• A patient brochure about pregnancy, breastfeeding and alcohol.
• Resources for AOD Sector workers who support women who may be alcohol dependent, produced in collaboration with NOFASD Australia.

The resources and training are part of FARE’s national campaign, called Every Moment Matters, that supports alcohol-free pregnancy and safe breastfeeding practices, in line with the Alcohol Guidelines.

For further information and to access the resources and training, visit everymomentmatters.org.au.