Rachel Sanderson says FASD as serious as shaking a baby

Rachel Sanderson says there can be “confronting and shocking” consequences when alcohol and unplanned pregnancies mix.

Women who are sexually active but not using contraception “shouldn’t be drinking” because of the risk of causing brain damage to an unborn child, says a former child protection minister.

Rachel Sanderson’s call for women to take the risk of foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) more seriously comes as new figures show more than 650 South Australian babies have been born in the past decade showing symptoms of drug or alcohol withdrawal.

Ms Sanderson was Liberal Child Protection Minister for four years until the government changed hands in March, 2022.

She says she was faced with the “confronting and shocking” consequences of FASD – which are permanent – and wants to continue raising awareness.

Former Liberal Minister Rachel Sanderson. Picture: Naomi Jellicoe

“It’s as serious as shaking a baby and giving it brain damage,” she said.

“There’s plenty of unplanned pregnancies. If you’re not using contraception and you’re sexually active you shouldn’t be drinking basically.

“A lot of people aren’t aware of how dangerous it is. They think it’s not so bad if it’s only a little glass of wine with a meal.

“If they knew the danger it can cause I think people would choose not to do it.”

Children exposed to alcohol in the womb can experience effects ranging from low body weight, vision and hearing problems to difficulties with learning, reasoning and speech.

A 2021 Senate Inquiry found up to nine per cent of babies born each year show signs of FASD.

Ms Sanderson stopped short of calling for drinking while pregnant to be made an offence.

“I wouldn’t like to be criminalising mothers when its through ignorance that this has happened,” she said.

“We need people to understand the consequences and that this is 100 per cent avoidable.”

The Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education Australia has recently launched the Every Moment Matters campaign, which urges women who are actively trying to fall pregnant to give up alcohol.

“Make the moment you start trying the moment to stop drinking,” says the tagline of ads running on television, radio and social media.

SA Health data shows the number of babies born in SA hospitals showing signs of withdrawal has fluctuated between 56 and 90 a year over the past decade, but fell to 34 last financial year.

Infants going through withdrawal are more irritable, cry more, have difficulty sleeping or feeding and can have a fever or low weight.

Treatment ranges from comforting through swaddling, skin contact and frequent feeds to administering morphine or sedatives.

Child Protection Department data shows the number of babies removed from parents in their first month of life has skyrocketed from just 19 in 2012-13 to a peak of 149 in 2020-21, before falling last financial year to 107.

About 1500 concerns about a pregnant mother or unborn baby were lodged with child protection authorities last financial year.

Originally published as Rachel Sanderson says FASD as serious as shaking a baby