Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder an awkward subject for parents

Students brain-damaged by their mothers’ drinking are being expelled from schools for bad behaviour, doctors have warned.

“BOOZE baby’’ students brain-damaged by their mothers’ drinking are being expelled from schools for bad behaviour, doctors have warned.

Kids with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder may be misdiagnosed as having autism or behavioural problems, a Senate inquiry has been told.

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Doctors are urging women to use contraception or stop drinking if there is any risk they could fall pregnant, especially during the Christmas-new year party season.

Australia’s first FASD diagnostic clinic, at the Gold Coast Hospital, has revealed that children are waiting 18 months for a diagnosis, with 160 on its waiting list.

Dr Harry Nespolon

It says some kids are being labelled as “badly behaved’’ or “deliberately naughty’’ when they actually have brain damage from FASD, caused when a mother’s drinking damages her unborn baby.

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners says FASD is a difficult issue for teachers to raise with parents.

“If children have been diagnosed formally, they may be able to go to a mild intellectual disability class, where their needs are better catered for,’’ it told the inquiry into effective approaches to prevention, diagnosis and support for FASD.

“However children without a formal diagnosis may struggle behaviourally and intellectually, and consequently, (are) often suspended or expelled.”

College president Harry Nespolon said parents should consult a doctor if they suspected their child’s behavioural problems might have been caused by drinking in pregnancy.

“Parents need to be honest with themselves if their child is having difficulties — they need to think back to when they were pregnant and what their drinking habits were like, and discuss that with a GP,’’ he said.

“Mothers will feel they’re being judged, unfortunately.

“This shouldn’t be about blame. It’s very, very difficult for mothers to admit they were drinking during pregnancy, and they do need to be treated with respect.’’

Dr Nespolon said many babies were conceived during the festive party season, as September was the busiest time in maternity wards.

A normal brain (left) and one of a child with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder

Gold Coast Hospital FASD clinic director Associate Professor Doug Shelton said half of Australia’s pregnancies were unplanned.

He said many children with FASD had mothers who drank before they knew they were pregnant.

“For most kids, it’s the result of someone who went to Bali on their honeymoon, had four beers (one night) and came back and found they were pregnant,’’ he said.

A Queensland Education Department spokesman said schools recognised FASD as a disability and made reasonable adjustments to help children in class.