Madam Speaker, last week I had an opportunity to ask a question of the Secretary of State for Children and Youth about the issue of fetal alcohol syndrome.
Fetal alcohol syndrome and fetal alcohol effects are permanent mental and physical damage done to the fetus caused by alcohol consumption during pregnancy. This tragedy is 100% preventable and studies have concluded that most Canadians are not sufficiently informed of the risk of even modest consumption of alcohol.
In 1992 the Standing Committee on Health produced a report entitled “Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: A Preventable Tragedy”. In the report it was found that there was no question maternal alcohol consumption could have devastating impacts on the fetus.
The basic fact is that when a pregnant woman drinks her unborn child also drinks, that is the alcohol in the mother's blood stream circulates through the placenta into the blood stream of the fetus. It is possible that the blood alcohol level of the fetus will remain at elevated levels for a longer period than that of the mother because the immature fetal liver metabolizes the alcohol much more slowly.
Research shows that 5% of all fetal defects are due to alcohol consumption during pregnancy. According to Health Canada, FAS occurs in 1 out of every 500 live births. This is more than for Down's syndrome which occurs in 1 in 600 live births.
FAS children can reflect the following: severe neurological disorders, social dysfunction, permanent behavioural problems, life span reduction, reduced brain development, learning disorders, hyperactivity, mental retardation, post and prenatal growth retardation, speech and vision impairment and other physical deformities. Needless to say, it is a very serious problem.
FAS is estimated to cost $1.5 million during the lifetime of an FAS child. The annual cost to Canada is estimated at some $2.7 billion in terms of increased health care, special education and other services.
FAE or fetal alcohol effects is very similar to FAS with the same range of problems in a less severe form and without the characteristic facial deformities. However, it should be noted that FAE occurs two to three times more frequently than fetal alcohol syndrome.
The medical profession concedes that the detection techniques are literally in their infancy in terms of their sophistication. As well, those with FAS or FAE generally have difficulties discerning the difference between right and wrong. There is a substantial concern that a large number of inmates in our prisons are victims of this terrible situation.
In October 1996 the Minister of Health and the Canadian Pediatric Society issued a joint statement in which they said that there was no safe level of alcohol consumption during pregnancy. They also said very clearly that the best decision for pregnant women is to abstain from alcohol during pregnancy.
I raise this matter in the House because I believe it is time that awareness of this issue come before the House again so all members of Parliament, and indeed all Canadians, know more about the problem. The fact is that even modest levels of alcohol consumption during pregnancy can have severe and devastating impacts on a fetus and for the remainder of their lives.
I raise the question with the secretary of state in the hopes that there can be some action taken with regard to improving public awareness of fetal alcohol syndrome and fetal alcohol effects.