The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #58473

Therese M. Grant, PhD and Janet Huggins, PhD. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Washington, 180 Nickerson St., Suite 309, Seattle, WA 98109-1631, 206 543-7155, granttm@u.washington.edu

Maternal alcohol abuse puts children at risk because of the possible lifelong effects of prenatal exposure on the child’s health, because women who abuse substances are more likely to provide a compromised home environment, and because of the likelihood that these women will deliver future exposed and affected children. These problems are exacerbated when the pattern is multigenerational, that is, when the mother herself has Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) or Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). Although the adverse outcomes of prenatal alcohol exposure have been well characterized, interventions for people diagnosed with FAS have not been systematically developed and evaluated. The Parent-Child Assistance Program (PCAP) is a 3-year paraprofessional home visitation and intervention program in Washington State, developed in 1991 to serve high risk women who abuse alcohol and/or drugs during pregnancy in order to prevent future alcohol and drug affected births. While approximately 40% of PCAP subjects are binge drinkers during pregnancy, nearly 65% were themselves exposed to heavy levels of alcohol in utero. PCAP recently piloted the intervention with women diagnosed with FASD. This presentation will describe diagnostic criteria and characteristics of adult women with FASD. We will compare demographic, mental health, and social profiles among PCAP subjects with FASD (N=20), standard PCAP subjects, and other high-risk populations. We will report intervention findings with respect to treatment entry and completion, contraceptive use, and connection to community services. Finally, we will make recommendations for how to improve provider education and develop more effective treatment strategies for women with FASD.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of the session, the participant in this session will be able to:
• describe characteristics of women with FASD; and
• discuss strategies for effective intervention with women who have FASD.

Keywords: Primary Prevention, Case Management

Related Web page: depts.washington.edu/fadu/

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Washington State Parent-Child Assistance Program (PCAP)
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.