THE PREVALENCE OF FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME IN NEW-ZEALAND

Aims. To obtain an estimate of the prevalence of fetal alcohol syndrom e in New Zealand and to report information on paediatrician surveillan ce for alcohol related birth defects. Methods. New Zealand paediatrici ans were asked to complete a postal survey. Questions recorded the num ber of children with alcohol related birth defects under their care, a nd examined the respondents' surveillance for alcohol related birth de fects. Results. There were 63 children under 10 years of age with feta l alcohol syndrome under paediatric care in 1993. The majority of paed iatricians considered the diagnosis only when risk, features were iden tified: the most frequent being children of high risk mothers and chil dren with dysmorphic features. Conclusion. Fetal alcohol syndrome exis ts in New Zealand, The prevalence of fetal alcohol syndrome as estimat ed in this study is lower than would be expected from international pr evalence reports and is likely to be an underestimate. Current surveil lance for alcohol related birth defects depends on an individual paedi atrician considering the diagnosis only when faced with a perceived at risk infant or child, and there is likely under recognition. An incre ased awareness of the risks of alcohol consumption in pregnancy and th e full spectrum of alcohol related birth defects is required.