§ Miss BeggTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if the Government have a mechanism to monitor the number of babies born to mothers(a) with alcohol problems and (b) who abuse illegal drugs. [51826]
§ Ms BlearsThe Department has no central mechanism to record the numbers of babies born to mothers who misuse alcohol or illegal drugs, although the numbers are likely to be small. Information from the infant feeding study 1995 indicated that only 1 per cent. of pregnant women drank more than 14 units of alcohol per week.
763WInformation about any problems with drug or alcohol misuse can be noted on a mother's medical records, and health professionals will encourage the mother to seek help to address their substance misuse problems both before and after the birth.