After Choice: FASD and the ‘managed woman’ (collaborative project)

This project takes policies, guidance and healthcare practices about Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) as its focus. It builds on previous research considering the ascendence of claims about the salience of the ‘precautionary principle’ for providing advice to women about alcohol and pregnancy.

See previous research:

This investigation considers the development and effects of what can be termed a ‘post choice’ context for maternity services, that has emerged as a result. In this context, the consumption of any alcohol at all, at any level, both before and during pregnancy, is assumed to be harmful, and the notion that women have a choice to make regarding this aspect of pregnancy behaviour no longer pertains.

The activities in the project comprise policy analysis and public dissemination of findings and arguments, to draw attention to the novelty of this form of healthcare policy and practice and raise questions about its rationale and implications.

The work is a collaboration between CPCS’ Professor Ellie Lee and staff in bpas’ Centre for Reproductive Research and Communication.