Pregnant women urged not to drink

THE DEPARTMENT of Health is drafting legislation to make mandatory the labelling of all alcohol products with warnings about the dangers of drinking while pregnant. The labels will also have information about how many units of alcohol are in the product.

The news comes as Alcohol Action Ireland (AAI) repeated its call for such labelling, to coincide with Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Day which falls today.

Director of the group Fiona Ryan said women had the right to know how their health and that of their unborn child was affected by drinking while pregnant.

"Exposure of the foetus to alcohol during pregnancy increases the risk of damage to the baby which can have long-term behavioural, social, learning and attention difficulties for children and teenagers, and at the most severe end of the spectrum a child's height, facial features and nervous system can also be affected."

Also today, Minister of State for Health Mary Wallace is warning pregnant women not to drink.

"I know that expectant mothers want to do everything possible to protect their baby," Ms Wallace said. "Everyone is aware about the advice not to smoke, but there is much less awareness about the advice not to consume alcohol during pregnancy."

A report last year - The Coombe Women's Hospital Study of Alcohol, Smoking and Illicit Drug Use, 1988-2005- found most pregnant women had drunk alcohol.

The study showed that one woman in 10 reported drinking more than six units of alcohol a week in pregnancy and that this pattern was more pronounced in younger women.

A spokeswoman said Drinks Manufacturers Ireland had agreed last year to label all alcohol products with information about units of alcohol in the products and about alcohol and pregnancy. "We agreed the measure at partnership talks last year, so we are now waiting on the legislation."

A department spokesman said there was not yet a clear date for the legislation's introduction.