FASD stands for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. But what exactly IS that?
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder includes all the types of disabilities that can occur when a woman drinks alcohol while pregnant. Some people mistakenly believe the effects of FASD are limited to severe mental disabilities or physical malformations. But FASD the effects of FASD can be much more subtle, showing up as difficulties in school, bad behaviour and even trouble with the law. According to information on the Health Canada website, there are an estimated 300,000 people living with FASD…and each person may require as much as $1.4 million in extra services that provide additional care and support. The good news is that those services do exist, enabling people with FASD to live to their fullest potential. The other good news is that FASD is preventable. There is one – and only one – cause of FASD, and that’s drinking alcohol during pregnancy. No one knows how much alcohol it actually takes to cause FASD. No one can say there’s a specific time during pregnancy is okay to drink. Tha
