Conservative Conference 2010: Loughton to investigate links between drinking while pregnant and behavioural problems
Neil Puffett
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Children's minister Tim Loughton has pledged to look into the issue of foetal alcohol syndrome amid concerns that mothers drinking too much during pregnancy is having a significant effect on children's behaviour.
Speaking at a fringe meeting organised by The Adolescent and Children’s Trust (Tact) and the Fostering Network at the Conservative conference in Birmingham, Loughton said he is aware the syndrome can have a similar impact to autism.
"I think foetal alcohol syndrome accounts for an awful lot of damaged children in this country," he said. "It is something I want to look at. I think this is a really big issue."
Loughton was responding to a question from Gareth Crossman, director at Tact, who said local authorities are not coming to terms with the impact of foetal alcohol syndrome.
Tact estimates around 7,000 children a year are born in Britain with foetal alcohol syndrome.
They fear that, if undiagnosed, children with the syndrome face a traumatic path through childhood.
Speaking at the meeting, former children’s commissioner Sir Al Aynsley-Green, said he is also aware of the issue.
"I have been to Canada where they are persuaded that the single most preventable cause of criminality is exposure to alcohol in pregnancy," he said.
Loughton's speech comes as a study of more than 11,000 five-year-olds is published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. The findings suggest that drinking one or two alcohol units a week while pregnant does not increase the risk of a child developing behavioural problems.
