It’s crucial that health professionals create a non-judgmental, safe space for pregnant women to discuss accidental prenatal alcohol exposure or to seek help if they are finding it difficult to stop consuming alcohol. Without talking about alcohol use, the repercussions ahead for the whole whānau could be life-changing.
Raising the topic of alcohol use during antenatal care can be challenging. Midwives and other antenatal health providers may feel awkward or unsure of how to ask, lack proper training, or be working in systems without consistent screening processes.
• FASD Diagnostic Guidelines Aotearoa
The 2024 guidelines for diagnosis in Aotearoa also have a specific section with advice for these conversations.
Click here and scroll to page 68: 'Good Practice Statements: Prenatal Alcohol Exposure Assessment' for further information.
Click here to find out more about stigma and the language we can use to make PAE and FASD less stigmatising.
• Amohia te Waiora website
Click here for a suite of resources on this site which have been developed to help initiate conversations about alcohol in pregnancy.
• Te Whatu Ora fact sheet
Click here to download this helpful fact sheet – 'Alcohol-Free Pregnancy Key Messages'.
