8 in 1,000 babies are born with alcohol-related birth defects, says study

A new study holds a strict warning for all mothers-to-be as consumption of alcohol during pregnancy may harm the baby. The findings reveal that globally eight in 1,000 babies are born with alcohol-related birth defects.

According to the study, U.K. is amongst the countries, where more children, as much as four times, are born with foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) - a series of developmental problems caused as a result of alcohol consumption than the global average.

Lead author of the study Dr. Svetlana Popova suggests that the issue should be prioritised in the public health index as the results indicate that one in every 13 women, who drink during pregnancy, will have a child with FASD.

The team from the Canadian Institute for Mental Health Policy Research analyzed 24 studies from around the world and found that about 32 in every 1,000 Britons have FASD, compared to the global average of eight in 1,000.

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As far as other countries are concerned, the numbers reveal 15 in 1,000 in the U.S., ten in France and 20 in Germany. South Africa has the highest proportion of people with FASD, with 111 in 1,000.

"Efforts should be made to educate all women of childbearing age about the potential detrimental effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on the developing foetus", Dr. Popova explained.