By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

fighting stigma and misinformation

174,000 Albertans living with FASD on 21st annual awareness day

Sep 5, 2020 | 1:59 PM

This Wednesday, September 9 is International FASD Awareness Day, which is also part of FASD Awareness Month.

FASD, or Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, is a health condition caused by exposure of a fetus to alcohol while still in the womb. It impacts nearly 1.5 million Canadians and 174,000 Albertans.

2020 marks the 21st year since FASD Day was first held in Canada, and this year local organizations which assist patients and their families are using the hashtag #FASDis to raise awareness.

Tammy Predovic, Community Prevention Coordinator with Central Alberta FASD Network, says the organization will be doing virtual awareness on its Facebook page from 9 a.m. onward on Sept. 9.

“The goal that day is to highlight the importance of going alcohol-free during the whole nine months of pregnancy, and the goal for the month is to teach Canadians about what FASD is. We’re challenging the current misinformation and stigma,” Predovic says.

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“Many women may not even know they’re pregnant yet, and they could be exposing their fetus. Some stigma occurs because people assume FASD is related to alcohol dependence, which it isn’t. We like to say that there is no safe amount, no safe kind, and no safe time.”

The problem, as Predovic notes, is that upwards of 60 per cent of pregnancies are unplanned, according to Alberta.ca.

Latest figures show that four per cent of Canadians have FASD, more than the number of Canadians with Autism, Cerebral Palsy and Down Syndrome.

There is also no known cure, Predovic points out.

“Unfortunately there’s also no specific treatment for FASD because each individuals is unique,” she says. “FASD can impact cognition, and language and communication abilities; this may pose challenges for academic achievement, it can impact memory, attention, and executive functioning including daily living tasks such as planning and organizing, as well as emotional regulation.”

This year’s event is also raising funds through the network’s ongoing ‘Fandana’ initiative.

Further information is at www.centralFASD.org.