FASD Ireland has reported that 57% of families who contacted FASD Hub Ireland during the first three months of 2026 are seeking support for children under the age of six who are showing signs of Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD).
Many of these concerns have only become apparent after children began primary school, when differences in learning, behaviour, and emotional regulation start to emerge.
According to the Health Service Executive (HSE) in 2022, one in ten babies born in Ireland is estimated to have a form of FASD, making it the most prevalent neurodevelopmental disability in the country.
Following the Covid-19 lockdowns, patterns of alcohol consumption changed significantly as home drinking became more normalised. During the same period, births in Ireland rose for the first time in several years, reaching over 57,000 births in 2022 according to the Central Statistics Office.
The HSE now estimates that up to 7.4% of the population in Ireland may be living with FASD.
Tristan Casson-Rennie, CEO of FASD Ireland, said the organisation is now beginning to see the expected increase in families seeking support as affected children reach school age.
“The symptoms of Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder often begin to become visible from around the age of five and can be fully recognisable by the time a child reaches ten,” said Casson-Rennie.
“What we are seeing now are parents who know something is not quite right for their child but are struggling to find information, diagnosis, and support.”
FASD is a lifelong neurodevelopmental condition caused by prenatal alcohol exposure. No amount is safe for a woman to drink at any stage of pregnancy. Emerging research also highlights the role of paternal alcohol consumption prior to conception.