Kristen Willey
All child bearing women over the age of 18
Women who drink alcoholic beverages
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum
Disorders (FASD)
Prenatal exposures to alcohol cause wide range of disorders
One of the most severe effects of drinking is Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS)
What is Fetal Alcohol
Syndrome?
Congenital Syndrome caused by excessive consumption of alcohol by mother during pregnancy, characterized by retardation of mental development and of physical growth, particularly of the face and skull
What is Fetal Alcohol
Syndrome?
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is a birth defect caused by drinking alcohol during pregnancy
One of the most severe defects for a fetus
Leading known preventable cause of mental retardation/other birth defects
Life long condition that causes mental and physical disabilities
Affects every aspect of individual's life and the lives of their loved ones
Umbrella term to describe range of effects that occur in a fetus
What are the Characterizations of FAS?
Abnormal facial features
Growth deficiencies
Central Nervous System Problems
Problems with learning, hearing, communication
Problems with attention span, vision, difficulty getting along with others
What are Characterizations of
FAS?
Fetal death is the most extreme outcome
Problems with daily living
Sleep and sucking disturbances in infancy
Examples of FAS
Examples of FAS
Examples
How Common is FAS?
.5 to 2 children in every 1,000 births affected
Depends on surveillance methods used
Depends on population studied
Over 30 years of research recognizes this birth defect as a huge problem
PREVALENCE OF BINGE DRINKING
AMONG CHILD_BEARING WOMEN
How can we prevent FAS?
DON’T DRINK!
Completely preventable
Never too late to stop drinking
Get help from professional if can’t stop drinking
Sexually Active should not drink
Family Role
Where do we get help?
Doctor’s office
Health Department
Schools
Social Service organizations
Community services
Clergy
FAMILY!!!
State Based Prevention
Programs
Develop, implement, evaluate population based and targeted programs for prevention
Identify high prevalence geographic areas
Selected sub populations of child bearing women at high risk for alcohol exposed pregnancy
State Based Programs
Establish/enhance prenatal and preconception programs
Establish or use existing systems for monitoring impact of prevention programs
Utah is not yet a funded site (only 7 of 50 states are)
A Public Health Concern
FAS is a permanent, life long condition that affects every aspect of a child’s life and those around them
FAS is completely preventable!
Surgeon General’s Warning
This is Serious
Did You Know?
If you don’t drink, you won’t have a child with
FAS!
While the overall rate of any alcohol use has declined since 1995, frequent and binge drinking continues to occur
1:30 women report risk drinking
1:7 nonpregnant women engage in risk drinking
Estimated 130,000 women per year in US consume alcohol at levels shown to increase risk of having baby with FAS
Frequent drinking: 7 or more drinks per week
Binge drinking: 5 or more drinks during any one occasion (dinner, etc)
Overall known as “Risk Drinking”
Educating the Public
FAS is a serious and lifelong with negative consequences
Many people have heard of Fetal Alcohol
Syndrome-but the general level of understanding the condition is not well understood
Educate health professionals about improvements in screening, identification and treatment of children with FAS
Families should learn all they can about the syndrome, how it affects child and strategies that help
Will be able to locate appropriate services for affected child
Random telephone surveys
Data used to monitor alcohol use patterns in women of child bearing age
Inform public health efforts to reduce alcohol exposed pregnancies
Determine potential number of women at risk for FAS pregnancy
Monitoring
Drinking patterns examine
Any alcohol use
Frequent drinking
Binge drinking
Eliminate hysterectomies, same sex couples, women using ineffective birth control methods
Advantages to FAS
Not really any advantages to having a child with FAS
Research is getting more definable
Women are being educated about the risks of drinking during pregnancy
Not enough education on FAS
Women enjoy their drinks too much
They don’t care/aren’t concerned
FAS can be confused/mimicked by other genetic syndromes
Don’t Drink if planning on pregnancy or are pregnant
Get help to stop drinking
Educate yourself on FAS if you have a child with it
www.cdc.gov
www.health.utah.gov/birthdefect www.pregnancyriskline.org
Julia Robertson, Pregnancy Risk Line
Amy Nance, Utah Birth Defect Network
Miland Palmer, Utah Birth Defect Network www.cdc.gov/mmwr “Guidelines for Identifying and Referring Persons with Fetal Alcohol
Syndrome
www.surgeongeneral.gov/pressreleases
www.oxfordreference.com.hal.weber.edu
“Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
www.cdc.gov/diseasesancconditions
Weber State’s online library
American College of Gynecology and
Obstetrics