The global toll of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)
Worldwide, an estimated 119,000 children are born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) each year, a new study from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) shows.
The study, published in The Lancet Global Health, provides the first-ever estimates of the proportion of women who drink during pregnancy, as well as estimates of FAS by country, World Health Organization (WHO) region and worldwide.
Prevalence of alcohol use during pregancy
Globally, nearly 10% of women consume alcohol during pregnancy, with wide variations by country and WHO region. In some countries, more than 45% of women consume alcohol during pregnancy.
In Canada, which has clinical guidelines advising abstinence during pregnancy, an estimated 10% of pregnant women still use alcohol, which is close to the estimated world average.
Global toll of FAS
Nearly 15 per 10,000 people around the world are estimated to have FAS, the most severe form of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). FAS is characterized by mental, behavioural and learning problems, as well as physical disabilities. In Canada, the estimate is 10.5 cases of FAS per 10,000 people.
The five countries with the highest alcohol use in pregnancy were in Europe: Russia, United Kingdom, Denmark,
- Russia
- United Kingdom
- Denmark
- Belarus
- Ireland.
As a region, Europe also had a 2.6 higher prevalence of FAS than the global average. The lowest levels of alcohol use and FAS were found for the Eastern Mediterranean and South East Asia regions, as there are high rates of alcohol abstinence in these regions.
