The University of Vermont is helping raise awareness for the 15th anniversary of International Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) Awareness Day on Sept. 9 by alerting people to the importance of not drinking alcohol if pregnant or considering becoming pregnant, and the need for effective services for individuals and families affected by these disorders.
UVM’s Center on Disability and Community Inclusion launched the CDCI Green Mountain FASD Project two years ago with support from the Vermont Child Health Improvement Program (VCHIP) to raise awareness about FASD by conducting regional trainings around the state. The project’s Interagency Coordinating Council brings together experts from the Vermont Department of Health, Vermont Department of Education, Vermont Family Network, social workers, practitioners, parents and physicians to look at how Vermont can respond to FASD issues.
The effort is being lead by Professor Susan Ryan, executive director of the UVM Center on Disability and Community Inclusion in the College of Education and Social Services, in collaboration with Patricia Berry, director of Policy and State Relations for the UVM Vermont Children Health Improvement Program under the College of Medicine. Joseph F. Hagan, M.D., clinical professor of pediatrics at the UVM College of Medicine and an expert in FASD, and Leah Burke, Geneticist and professor in the College of Medicine, are on the FASD project’s Interagency Coordinating Council and provide screening and diagnosis of FAS/FASD in the Vermont community.
"My goal for the project is to increase awareness of the impact of prenatal alcohol exposure on the developing fetus, as well as, to draw attention to the interagency and interdisciplinary collaboration needed to provide support and wraparound services to children, youth, adults with FASD and their families,” said Ryan, who spent 15 years in Alaska working in the area of FASD. "No known amount of alcohol is safe to drink if you are pregnant or considering becoming pregnant. UVM students, including young men and women, should know about the impact of prenatal exposure to alcohol. It is an equal opportunity disability and crosses all socioeconomic, social, ethnic, religious and racial groups.”
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration defines FASD as an umbrella term under which a group of conditions (abnormal facial features, growth and central nervous system problems, behavior and cognitive challenges) occur in a person whose mother drank alcohol during pregnancy. The conditions affect each person differently, usually with a mix of conditions, and can range from mild to severe.
Ten facts about FASD, provided by UVM’s Center on Disability and Community Inclusion:
1. FASD is an umbrella term that includes FAS (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome) and is caused by prenatal exposure to alcohol.
2. There is no known safe amount of alcohol to consume during pregnancy.
3. FASD is completely preventable. Avoid all alcohol during pregnancy.
4. Prevalence of FAS (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome) in the United States is estimated to be .2-1.5 per 1,000 live births. The prevalence of FASDs in the U.S. is much higher and as high as 1 in 100 live births.
5. Vermont is one of the leading states in women between the ages of 18-44 who report drinking. 65 percent of women of child bearing age in Vermont are current drinkers (drank alcohol in the last 30 days); of these 23 percent binge drink (4 or more drinks/sitting).
6. 35 percent of Vermont mothers report their pregnancies are unintended.
7. 64 percent of Vermont mothers reported drinking at least some alcohol in the three months prior to pregnancy.
8. FASD has lifelong implications: A child born prenatally exposed to alcohol has a greater chance of having learning challenges, dropping out of school, getting in trouble with the law, living in multiple home environments over his/her lifetime, and having substance abuse or mental health disorders.
9. FASDs are preventable.
10. Sept. 9 is International FASD Awareness Day.
For more information on FASD, contact Susan Ryan at susan.ryan@uvm.edu or visit the Center for Disease Control or UVM-CDCI FASD websites.