The government has announced more funding and initiatives to address Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). This is to be applauded, including as it strongly emphasises the humanity of the unborn child.
FASD is the result of drinking alcohol during pregnancy. Alcohol use during pregnancy damages the baby’s neurological development. Once born and growing, a child with FASD will usually present with difficulties learning, with their behaviour, and also physical challenges.
According to Health New Zealand, there is no domestic research to know how many children are affected here, but, using overseas studies, they suggest it is likely between three and five per cent, so approximately 1,800 to 3,000 children each year.
The government’s commitment of more money and focus on FASD is to be applauded. However, it also highlights a glaring contradiction in the minister’s and the government’s thinking.
When it comes to FASD, the government is clearly signalling that the unborn child is human and has value. Yet simultaneously, Minister Dooecy voted for Labour’s extreme abortion legislation in 2020. He also voted for the Conversion Therapy legislation and is the minister in charge of reviewing the use of puberty blockers.
The sad irony is that he is keen to prevent alcohol harm to unborn babies yet supportive of aborting some.
We can only speculate, but it is likely he and others will argue that FASD is a harm on unborn children that are still wanted by their parents, whereas abortion is a circumstance where the parents do not want the child at all. This remains a deeply troubling approach to human life, determining the value of an individual person (in this case, the unborn child) based on what others want.
Also of note is Minister Doocey overseeing the puberty blocker review and, from what we at Family First understand, he is deeply committed to continuing their use. This is likely why there continues to be delay after delay in decision making. Despite the growing scientific and international consensus that puberty blocker use by young people should be banned or strongly restricted, the minister and his advisors are busily finding a way to justify their continued use here in New Zealand.
It is very contradictory that Minister Doocey seeks to stop the harm of alcohol on the unborn while simultaneously being committed to use of toxic drugs and chemicals on young people with gender dysphoria.
These confusions and contradictions by the minister and government aside, Family First applauds the confirmation of the unborn child’s humanity by this increased funding as well as the assistance it provides to families struggling with FASD.
This article was originally published by Family First New Zealand.
