It is very difficult to estimate the prevalence of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder among Australian children.

This is partly due to fact that the manifestation of the disorder can be very varied and often subtle, and partly due to the fact that very few women will give a history of drinking alcohol in pregnancy.

But the experts say, if we consider that at least 20% of Australians drink at risky levels and up to half of all pregnancies are unplanned, you’ve got to suspect there’s quite a large cohort of affected children out there, many of whom may be yet to be diagnosed.

So … you might want to check out this resource – a  Toolkit for parents, caregivers and families of children with this condition  – put out by the NOFASD (National Organisation for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders).