Poster

SAMHSA’s FASD Center for Excellence is devoted to providing resources and raising awareness in the prevention and treatment of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). Each year, as many as 40,000 babies are born with an FASD. The lifetime cost of caring for one individual with an FASD is estimated to be between $1.4 and $1.5 million. FASD is an umbrella term describing the range of effects that can occur in an individual whose mother drank alcohol during pregnancy. These effects may include physical, mental, behavioral, and/or learning disabilities with possible lifelong implications. The 2005 Surgeon General’s Advisory on Alcohol Use in Pregnancy states: 1) a pregnant woman should not drink alcohol during pregnancy, 2) a pregnant woman who has already consumed alcohol during her pregnancy should stop in order to minimize further risk, and 3) a woman who is considering becoming pregnant should abstain from alcohol. This session will address a broad range of issues associated with FASD starting with the extent of the problem, the effects of alcohol exposure, and the secondary disabilities associated with FASD. The evidence-based approaches/practices currently addressing the prevention of FASD, the outcomes of utilizing these approaches, the settings in which they work, and with recommendations made by the National Task Force will all be discussed in detail. A public education program that lays out partnership-building strategies to unite local communities will be presented, and information regarding a manual designed to promote these strategies will be discussed.

Session Objectives: 1. Describe a range of effects resulting from alcohol exposure during pregnancy. 2. Describe the history and types of evidence-based approaches to prevent FASD and the outcomes of programs utilizing each approach. 3. Demonstrate the stages involved in building local partnerships and examine the successes and challenges encountered at pilot sites. 4. List 5 recommendations made by the National Task Force on FAS/FAE for reducing alcohol exposed pregnancies.