Healthcare Providers


Healthcare providers in Aotearoa New Zealand are essential partners in supporting people with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) throughout their lives. Your mahi / work is vital, starting with pre-conception education to prevent prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE).

If PAE and subsequent FASD does occur, a supportive programme of lifelong care and early identification is key, as lifelong healthcare and support will likely be required. FASD is a whole-body, brain-based disability that affects the brain but it can also affect every part of the body.

While FASD is a lifelong condition, early identification and informed support are vital and can significantly help a person thrive and reach their full potential. These supports are also essential for the informed management of a wide range of complex health needs that come with FASD.

Empowering Planned, Alcohol-Free Pregnancies

GPs, midwives (including Lead Maternity Carers/LMCs), and sometimes paediatricians are crucial in preventing alcohol-exposed pregnancies.

See this research paper for a recent study (published July 2025) on the rate of missed opportunities for proactive prevention in Germany, published by Oxford University Press.

Healthcare providers empower people to make confident choices for planned, alcohol-free pregnancies by combining three proactive steps:

  • Clear, Evidence-Based Education: This means sharing the critical fact that there is no safe amount of alcohol during pregnancy, including when planning a pregnancy. Delivered non-judgmentally, this empowers people with the accurate knowledge they need to choose abstinence.

  • Routine Screening: Screening involves routinely and safely asking people of childbearing age about their pregnancy intent and alcohol use. This normalises the discussion and creates an immediate, safe opportunity to offer supportive resources before a potential pregnancy occurs.

  • Accessible Contraception: Ensuring easy access to effective methods, especially Long-Acting Reversible Contraception (LARC), helps ensure that pregnancies are planned. Since nearly 50% of pregnancies in Aotearoa are unplanned, this prevents alcohol exposure during the crucial first few weeks of fetal development.

Whole-Body Health: A Lifetime of Informed Care

FASD is a whole-body diagnosis, not just a brain difference. People with FASD often have complex health needs and are much more likely to be diagnosed with physical health conditions than the general population. There are over 420 comorbid conditions associated with an FASD diagnosis.

A wide range of specialists, including doctors, ophthalmologists, audiologists, and dentists, may be involved throughout a person’s life to support their complex health needs. These can include:

  • motor skill challenges
  • heart and joint differences
  • chronic sleep issues
  • gut and bladder differences
  • inflammatory conditions (like early-onset arthritis)
  • incontinence problems
  • hearing, vision and dental problems.

This reinforces the fact that early identification and tailored support are key to successful management.

Access the tabs below for more information according to speciality.