Health watchdog NICE reveals 'landmark' better care for those exposed to alcohol in womb

dailystar.co.uk:

Health watchdog NICE has revealed a “landmark” initiative today to vastly improve the care of those exposed to alcohol in the womb.Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) affects around 3% of the UK population - three times as many as autism - yet more than half of Brits (53%) have NEVER heard of it.FASD is a neurodevelopmental condition that arises from alcohol exposure in the womb, with 428 associated conditions linked to “devastating consequences” - from brain damage to physical and developmental issues.Today, The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) said that any child thought to have been exposed should be given an assessment.Any child confirmed to have been exposed should be sent for a neurodevelopmental assessment, and those confirmed to have FASD should be given a management plan for their needs.It also said women should be given early advice not to drink in their pregnancy, and have their alcohol consumption noted on records.This is part of a 20-year fight by campaigners and families living with FASD, who feel they have been largely “unsupported”.The spokeswoman for National Organisation for FASD, Joanna Buckard, said: “The NICE Quality Standard is a major leap forward in the fight to reduce alcohol-exposed pregnancies by giving women the information and support they need and, vitally, to create brighter futures for those with FASD and their families.“Too many people with FASD up to now have been left undiagnosed and unsupported, with sometimes devastating and avoidable consequences.”Professor Raja Mukherjee, who heads the FASD National Specialist Clinic and was on the NICE Quality Standard Committee, said: “FASD is a complex condition which affects brain and body.“There are over 428.