Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) Awareness Day is observed around the world on September 9 in order to raise awareness about the dangers of drinking alcohol during pregnancy.
In May 2019, Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership launched an ambitious new programme to prevent local children being harmed by alcohol during pregnancy.
The partnership has invested £1.6 million in a new pilot programme aiming to challenge misconceptions about drinking when pregnant and increase public knowledge of FASD.
A particular focus is on enabling the health and social care workforce to better advise on the harms and diagnose and assist with the impacts when they arise.
Expectant mothers and their partners in four areas of Greater Manchester (Bury, Rochdale, Tameside and Oldham) receive guidance and support at key points when planning to conceive, while pregnant, and after giving birth.
As part of its programme, Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership has developed #Drymester.
This new digital campaign aims to increase awareness of FASD as a consequence of drinking alcohol while pregnant, and to drive changes in behaviour by empowering people not to drink during pregnancy.
The campaign is aimed particularly at 18 to 44-year-old women who are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, and the partners, family members and friends who support them. All are encouraged to go alcohol free throughout the pregnancy and make every trimester #drymester.
Find out more about the project
Meet the Greater Manchester team
Róisín Reynolds and Rachael Nielsen are leading the Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership programme to reduce alcohol exposed pregnancies.
They will be describing the programme at a workshop at the NHS Substance Misuse Provider Alliance conference in Sheffield on 9 September 2019.