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The problem of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Each year, 119,000 children are born in the world who will eventually develop what is known as Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. The disease, which determines a delay in cognitive development of the child and a tendency to hyperactivity, affects 1.5 out of every 1,000 babies throughout the world. Spain, however, lacks epidemiological data on its prevalence. In view of this, the Catalan Institute for Fostering and Adoption (ICAA) and the Health Service's Office of Substance Abuse have begun a study in three hospitals, the Vall d'Hebron Hospital, Sant Joan de Deu and the Hospital Clinic, to determine the prevalence in Catalonia among children adopted from Eastern European countries, where the incidence is higher.

On Friday and yesterday, the Vall d'Hebron was the scene of the first national conference dedicated to this syndrome, with the first day dedicated to professionals to stress the need for an accurate and early diagnosis. Yesterday it was the turn of the families. The head of psychiatry at the hospital, Dr. Josep Antoni Ramos Quiroga, stressed the need for education because “one out of every 10 women still drink alcohol during pregnancy.”

Quiroga says that there are clear physiological signs of the syndrome which can lead to earlier detection before cognitive evidence is apparent.

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