ROCKING THE RED SHOES

BEST FOOT FORWARD: Red shoes are the symbol of International Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Awareness Day. Picture supplied

BREAKFAST was off the menu today for the Tairawhiti Foetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder Group.

Before lockdown the group had planned a breakfast to mark International FASD Awareness Day.

It was to be today, the ninth day of the ninth month, the awareness day begun on September 9, 1999. All the nines represent the nine months of pregnancy.

But lockdown Level 2 conditions have stymied plans for the awareness breakfast.

A new date is yet to be decided.

The group is promoting Red Shoes Rock, an international awareness campaign giving voice and support to those affected by prenatal alcohol exposure.

The awareness day promotes education and awareness efforts to combat FASD.

It is estimated between 600 and 3600 babies are born each year in New Zealand with FASD.

Throughout pregnancy developing babies are exposed to the same concentration of alcohol as their mother.

Participants in the Red Shoes Rock campaign are encouraged to wear red shoes or a red shoes badge to promote awareness of Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.

Drinking alcohol of any type, including beer and wine, is unsafe for developing babies at any stage of pregnancy.

Tikanga Maori holds that “wahine are tapu while hapu”, recognising women as sacred during pregnancy.

It is a crucial and sensitive time to protect the wellbeing of the pepi, mama and whanau to protect whakapapa for a minimum of the next two generations.

FASD is preventable if a developing baby is not exposed to alcohol before birth.

FASD can affect a child’s physical, mental, behavioural, or cognitive development.

FASD is arguably the most prevalent preventable cause of developmental delay and intellectual disability in the western world with higher incidence rates than autism spectrum disorder (ASD), spina bifida, and Down syndrome.

Prenatal alcohol exposure is associated with an increased risk of miscarriage, stillbirth, prematurity and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), as well as a range of lifelong physical, behavioural, and intellectual disabilities.

To prevent FASD, make a plan for a healthy baby — don’t drink any alcohol if you are pregnant or may be pregnant.

A woman often does not know she is pregnant for up to six weeks.

If you become pregnant, stop drinking alcohol. Every day matters.

Because brain growth takes place throughout pregnancy, the sooner a woman stops drinking the safer it will be for her and her baby.

Pregnant women who need help with stopping their drinking can talk to their doctor or midwife, or contact an addiction specialist or a recovery programme such as Alcoholics Anonymous.

To join the campaign for Red Shoes Rock September, go to www.actionpoint.org.nz/fasd

For more information on alcohol use during pregnancy and FASD, visit

;

; ;