Use of alcohol and other substances during pregnancy – in a Nordic perspective

A majority of pregnant women reduce alcohol consumption or stop using alcohol during pregnancy. However, four out of ten pregnancies are unplanned, and the consumption of alcohol and other substances has been increasing among women in childbearing age, imposing a risk of exposure to the fetus before a woman knows she is pregnant.

Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) is an umbrella term and describe the range of effects that may occur due to prenatal alcohol exposure including facial and structural anomalies, prenatal and postnatal growth deficits and central nervous system abnormalities.

Results

Our report Identifying use of alcohol and other substances during ­pregnancy – A Nordic overview focuses on alcohol consumption during pregnancy, screening and the services who provides help. The report also shortly highlights use of tobacco and other substances during pregnancy:

Identifying use of alcohol and other substances during ­pregnancy – A Nordic overview (Nordic Welfare Centre, 2020)

Nordic Welfare Centre arranged an expert meeting for Nordic FASD-experts in Helsinki 10-11 October 2019. This report gives an insight to what was discussed during the meeting:

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders – Report from expert meeting Helsinki 10-11 October 2019

One of the initiatives taken at the expert meeting is FASD Nordic, a platform for sharing information, research and experiences between the Nordic countries, about fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.

Project aims and target group

The aim of the project is to:

• Collect and spread Nordic information and best practices on:
  • the guidelines and practices related to identifying substance using pregnant women,
  • the treatment offered for the substance using pregnant women,
  • the services provided for the affected children in each Nordic country.
• Promote collaboration between the Nordic countries regarding FASD

The target group for the project is researchers, clinicians and other relevant healthcare workers, officials, NGOs, and service providers who work with the topic.