Consuming alcohol while pregnant still dangerous for baby: researcher
An organisation involved in Foetal Alcohol Syndrome research says it is concerned that even medical practitioners, who should know better, often encourage pregnant women to consume a little amount of alcohol.
Liana Olivier, from the Foundation for Alcohol-Related Research, says her organisation has been able to conduct research only in Gauteng, Eastern, Northern and Western Cape provinces.
ECR Newswatch spoke to Olivier to commemorate World Foetal Alcohol Syndrome Day yesterday. She says women taking alcohol during pregnancy is a no-no.
"We still find health professionals, even doctors, telling mothers that it is alright to have 1 or 2 drinks of alcohol during pregnancy," she said.
"We know for a fact, through research that has been done across the globe, that even a little bit of alcohol can damage the baby and cause irreversible damage like we see in children with alcohol syndrome who are always born with brain damage," Olivier said.
(Photo: AFP)