Businesses in Stockport are being encouraged to support a new campaign across Greater Manchester to raise awareness of the dangers of alcohol consumption during pregnancy, #DRYMESTER.
The campaign has been commissioned by Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership, to raise awareness of the impacts of prenatal alcohol exposure and support parents-to-be to have healthy pregnancies.
Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can cause Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD): a range of lifelong disabilities including physical, mental, behavioural and learning impairments. Recent prevalence research shows that FASD may affect up to 3.6% of children in Greater Manchester – that’s the equivalent of 1,238 children born each year. However, FASD is entirely preventable if the baby is not exposed to alcohol before birth.
With 41% of pregnancies in the UK alcohol-exposed, the #DRYMESTER campaign is calling on employers to help share awareness of the condition, and introduce the #DRYMESTER conversation to the workplace and spread the word to your employees and customers.
To help businesses spread the message on FASD, the #DRYMESTER campaign has produced an introduction pack. The booklet outlines the principle effects of alcohol consumption on an unborn baby’s development, as well as highlighting support services and other resources available in Greater Manchester to help parents-to-be.
Download the #DRYMESTER introduction pack here.
Stockport NHS finalists for ‘Chefs of the Year’ 
Education Secretary praises Trafford and Stockport College Group students’ results 
NHS Greater Manchester shares bank holiday health advice