Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) are a range of lifelong developmental disabilities caused by exposure to alcohol during pregnancy (BMA Board of Science, 2007; FASD Trust, 2013). In addition to developmental disabilities, individuals with FASD have an increased risk of mental health problems, substance misuse and contact with the criminal justice system later in life (Popova et al., 2016; Streissguth et al., 2004). Research from North America, Italy and Croatia suggests that between 3-5% of children in the general population have FASD, making it one of the leading preventable causes of developmental disability worldwide (May et al., 2014; Roozen et al., 2016).

There are no current estimates of the number of children with FASD in the UK. However, there is reason to suspect that FASD may be an issue within this population. The UK has inconsistent guidance on drinking in pregnancy. Some organisations promote an abstinence message and others suggest that low levels of use (one to two units once or twice a week) may be acceptable (Department of Health, 2016; National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), 2008). In the UK approximately 75% of women drink while pregnant and, although many reduce their intake later in pregnancy, 33% of women report binge drinking within the first trimester (Nykjaer et al., 2014; O'Keeffe et al., 2015). In 2015 the All Party Parliamentary Group for FASD expressed an urgent need for a UK population-based prevalence study in order to guide prevention efforts and policy for alcohol use in pregnancy (All Party Parliamentary Group on FASD, 2015).