Africa-Press – Mauritius. The Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Kailesh Kumar Singh Jagutpal, proceeded on 09 September 2022 in Port Louis, with the launching of the leaflet “Zero l’alcool pour la grossesse” in the context of the International Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Awareness Day.
This International Day is observed annually on 09 September. The leaflet, an initiative of the Ministry of Health and Wellness, comprises information on the dangers of consuming alcohol during pregnancy and is targeted at future mothers.
It covers several topics namely pregnancy and alcohol; a healthy lifestyle during pregnancy; Planning for a pregnancy-I stop drinking alcohol!; the effects of alcohol consumption on pregnancy; the fetal alcohol syndrome; alcohol in women during the post-partum period; and how to stop drinking alcohol.
The leaflet will be distributed in Well Baby Clinics as well as all Health Centres across the country. In his address, the Minister recalled that according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), one woman on 10 on average consumes alcohol during pregnancy and 20% of women consume alcohol excessively, that is, some four alcohol drinks or more at a time.
WHO statistics also reveal that those most likely to drink are pregnant women aged between 35 and 44 years (18,6%), women having left college (13%); and unmarried women (12,9%), he said.
He further stated that according to the Contraceptive Prevalence Survey in 2014, 3,4 % of women aged between 15 and 49 years have consumed alcohol during pregnancy.
Dr Jagutpal also dwelt on the consequences of alcohol consumption during pregnancy ranging from mild to severe symptoms such as low body weight, poor coordination, hyperactive behaviour, intellectual disability or low IQ, vision or hearing problems, learning disabilities, speech and language delays, behavioural problems, abnormal facial features, and problems with vital organs.
Alcohol consumption, he added, also increases the risks of miscarriage, premature delivery, and stillborn babies. He deplored that since these problems are irreversible, innocent children are victims of this syndrome and they will suffer from various diseases throughout their lives.
“Preventing and reducing risky and harmful alcohol use among women of reproductive age is an important public health issue, he said. Hence the need, he emphasised, to sensitise the public in general on the consequences of alcohol consumption during pregnancy.
The Health Minister appealed to pregnant girls and women to seek advice from health professionals in case they are facing difficulties to remain sober while pregnant.
He further recalled that besides alcohol, smoking and an unhealthy lifestyle can also have harmful impacts on the foetus. He advised women to practice light physical activities, sports, yoga, or listen to music so as to reduce stress.
International Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Awareness Day First celebrated in 1999, the Day is devoted to raising awareness of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) to improve prevention of FASD and diagnosis and support for individuals with FASD.
FASD is a lifelong disability that affects the brain and body of people who were exposed to alcohol in the womb. Each person with FASD has both strengths and challenges and will need special support to help them succeed in many different parts of their daily lives.
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