CU launches “No to alcohol during pregnancy” campaign












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            Online conference, events aim to raise awareness


            September 9 is Fetal Alcohol Disorder (FASD) Awareness Day. The date represents the nine m
            pregnancy but serves also as a reminder for women not to drink alcohol during pregnancy, a

            their child can be severe: lifelong physical and mental disabilities. Charles University h
            campaign to draw attention to the problem.



            On Monday, representatives at Charles University in Prague unveiled the campaign called “S

            during Pregnancy”, an online conference and other events putting into sharp focus the dang
            to unborn children, resulting in lifelong disabilities. In the Czech Republic, around 3,00
            are born each year with alcohol-related disorders, which is heartbreaking as the damage to

            entirely preventable. Along with FASDs, alcohol during pregnancy increases the chances of 
            stillbirth, miscarriage and sudden infant death syndrome.



            CU’s Rector Tomáš Zima reminded attendees at the press event at Charles University on Mond
            rank among the biggest consumers of alcohol on the OECD’s list. The aim is to try to get t

            of expecting mothers who underestimate the dangers to take a second look and push the glas
            that people know the risks, the more likely they will be to abstain.


            “The Czech Republic unfortunately holds a top spot when it comes to alcohol: 8,8 litres of
            capita in 2019 – 0,2 litres more than the previous year. Pregnant women belong to a high-r
            consumption of alcohol can lead to permanent damage to the fetus and long-term health of t


            Professor Vladimír Komárek, a child neurologist and the dean of CU’s Second Faculty of Med
            that of the 3,000 cases of children with FASDs a year, 300 are severe. He didn’t mince wor

            that some babies were “de facto born inebriated”.



            Health Minister Adam Vojtěch has given the campaign his full backing, saying he was “glad 
            University and the Second Faculty of Medicine led by Prof. Komárek had launched the projec
            the fact that too often Czech society made light of the dangers of alcohol during pregnanc

            the hope that will change.

            The campaign will see events held in towns and cities across the Czech Republic where medi

            operate. The project has received backing from the Health Ministry of the Czech Republic, 
            Institute of Public Health, the Government Council for Drug Policy Coordination tand many 
            insitutions. Public broadcasters Czech TV and Czech Radio are media campaign partners.



            Story by Marcela Uhlíková and Jan Velinger


            Photos by Vladimír Šigut


            Published: September 8, 2020



            • Additional information in Czech Česko! A jak dál? [ URL "https://ceskoajakdal.cz/CAJD-17