Children's Needs – Parenting Capacity - Digital Education Resource ...

106 Children’s Needs – Parenting Capacitygrowth, prematurity and birth weight, and is minimal for gestational age at birthand birth defects including Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (Henderson et al.2007).While there is little doubt that Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder exists, it isbecoming more apparent that exposure to high levels of alcohol may not be sufficientto explain the inconsistent data on the incidence and prevalence across countries andover time (Abel 1998). Abel also suggests that average national alcohol consumptionis a poor predictor of Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, and he goes further byestimating that only 4% of heavy-drinking mothers give birth to a Foetal AlcoholSpectrum Disorder child.Adverse effects on the unborn child are not confined to maternal drinking. Thereis some evidence to suggest that fathers who are heavy drinkers produce children withlower birth weight and increased risk of heart defects (Plant 1997). Furthermore,spontaneous abortion and neonatal deaths are associated with the excessive drinkingof either parent (Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists 2006).Research conducted in the US identifies a less severe manifestation of FoetalAlcohol Syndrome, labelled Foetal Alcohol Effect. Symptoms are fewer or lessapparent, particularly physical characteristics. Typical symptoms include poorfeeding, tremors, irritability, occasional seizures and increased risk of sudden deathsyndrome (Julien 1995; Avis 1999). Research from North America also suggestsa link between any alcohol use in pregnancy and spontaneous abortion, but thisevidence is refuted by European and Australian research (Abel and Sokol 1991).Guidance to pregnant women in the United Kingdom, produced by theDepartment of Health (2009b) and the National Institute for Health and ClinicalExcellence (2008) has erred on the side of safety by providing strong messages aboutalcohol consumption. The advice is that pregnant women and women planning apregnancy should avoid drinking alcohol during the first three months of pregnancyor restrict their intake to no more than one or two United Kingdom units once ortwice a week. The guidance also stresses the possible danger to the unborn baby ofgetting drunk or binge drinking during pregnancy. However, it is important notto alarm pregnant women who may have consumed more than the recommendedlimit because the evidence is still developing and the role of other risk factors is stillnot clear.Impact of domestic violenceDomestic violence can have a negative impact on the unborn child in three ways:through inherited traits, physical damage to the foetus and the effects of maternalstress.