By Gary Culliton.
A study has commenced in the Coombe Women’s Hospital aimed at screening women for alcohol intake in pregnancy with a view to counselling.
In the next number of years, an extension of the study — partly funded by the HSE — is planned to estimate the number of Foetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) cases diagnosed over a specific time period. Although FAS is a specific diagnosis, there are many features that need to be present, as well as a history of prenatal alcohol intake. For these reasons, the diagnosis of FAS is difficult and frequently either misdiagnosed or unconfirmed.
There is no national register for Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). Therefore, the numbers of cases of FAS, FASD and Alcohol Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder (ARND) in Ireland are unknown. This reflects the situation in many countries in Europe.
In the Eastern Region, the HSE has reported that only one or two cases are identified each year. However, this is believed to be an under-estimate of the actual number of cases.
gary.culliton@imt.ie
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