News

Pregnant Drinking could become a Crime

8 November 2014

By Lauren E. White

After a council in the North West of England is seeking criminal injuries compensation for ‘growth retardation’ in a six-year-old girl, women’s charities have said that drinking while pregnant could become illegal.

The six-year-old’s injuries occurred after her mother was consuming large volumes of alcohol during the pregnancy – something that is particularly common in pregnant women nowadays, with around 6,000 babies born in the UK being effected by FASD (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders). There are worrying effects of heavy drinking while pregnant as alcohol is a toxin and it usually damages the development of the baby’s cells, often resulting in issues with the growth of the face, organs and brain.

If the Court of Appeal agrees that the mother committed a crime, it could begin a brand new campaign for pregnant women’s behaviour to be criminalised according to the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) and Birthrights – a positive step forward in helping to prevent deformities in babies and children across the UK.

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