The most well-known consequences of maternal alcohol consumption are Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) and Fetal Alcohol Effect (FAE), in which the features of FAS are only partially expressed. The magnitude of the problem in New Zealand is examined in terms of estimates of the number of cases and their economic impact upon individual families and society as a whole. The politics of "policing pregnancy" are discussed here in terms of the requirements the state can justifiably impose on a pregnant woman to protect the health of the fetus, the role of the state in defining parameters of maternal responsibility, and the role of motherhood in New Zealand society. To resolve the inherent conflicts between a rights-based approach and the social construction of motherhood, the rights of the individual and the rights of the state, the author proposes that the discussion must be restructured in terms of crafting policies for mutual advantage. This article stresses the need for education and an integrated approach that would reduce the problem of alcohol-exposed infants. 37 references