Most Manitobans know about Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) and have absorbed the message that no amount of alcohol is safe during pregnancy, a Probe Research Inc. survey conducted on behalf of the Winnipeg Free Press reveals.

Yet while nine-in-ten Manitoba adults (89%) have heard about FASD, not all of those in the province may realize that the sole cause of this disorder is when women drink while pregnant. Just one-half of adult Manitobans (50%) strongly or moderately agree that alcohol consumption while pregnant is the only way children develop FASD. Others who disagreed or were unsure may believe that other factors may cause FASD.

Other highlights of this survey include:

• Nearly nine-in-ten (88%) said that no amount of alcohol is safe during pregnancy
• Three-quarters of those surveyed (76%) agreed that FASD is a form of brain damage.
• Awareness of the causes of FASD tend to be higher among women, those with children at home and those with higher levels of education

These questions were included on Probe Research Inc.'s Omnibus survey of 1,002 Manitobans conducted by telephone from Sept. 16-30, 2010. With a sample of 1,002, the margin of error for this survey is +/- 3.0%, 19 times out of 20.

These results are the first of a series of FASD-related research findings to be presented as part of the Winnipeg Free Press' Wounded in the Womb series, in which Free Press reporters Mia Rabson, Carol Sanders and Mary Agnes Welch explore issues related to FASD in Manitoba.

View detailed graphs and methodology.

Labels: FASD, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, Probe Research, Winnipeg Free Press, Wounded in the Womb