Today is World Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Day — a day observed globally to raise awareness about the lifelong impact of alcohol exposure during pregnancy. FASD is entirely preventable, yet it remains a significant public-health challenge, particularly in South Africa, where some communities have among the highest recorded rates of FASD in the world. But as our cities grow and more people move into urban areas, are we paying enough attention to the social pressures that can influence alcohol use during pregnancy? Does rapid urbanisation — with its unemployment, poverty, stress,
changing social networks and greater availability of alcohol — create conditions that could put more unborn children at risk? Today, we're asking whether the FASD crisis is also becoming an
urbanisation story.

Today is World Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Day &mdash; a day&nbsp;observed globally to raise awareness about the lifelong impact&nbsp;of alcohol exposure during pregnancy.&nbsp;FASD is entirely preventable, yet it remains a significant&nbsp;public-health challenge, particularly in South Africa, where some communities have among the highest recorded rates of FASD in the&nbsp;world. But as our cities grow and more people move into urban&nbsp;areas, are we paying enough attention to the social pressures that&nbsp;can influence alcohol use during pregnancy? Does rapid&nbsp;urbanisation &mdash; with its unemployment, poverty, stress, changing social networks and greater availability of alcohol &mdash;&nbsp;create conditions that could put more unborn children at risk?&nbsp;Today, we're asking whether the FASD crisis is also becoming an urbanisation story.

METRO FM Talk with Faith Mangope