September is Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) Awareness Month. This annual observance highlights the importance of talking about FASD, preventing FASD, and supporting families living with FASD.

FASDs are a group of conditions that can occur in a person who was exposed to alcohol before birth. It is estimated that up to one in 20 U.S. schoolchildren may have FASDs.1 Nearly one in seven pregnant people report drinking alcohol, and about one in 20 report binge drinking in the past 30 days.2 While evidence-based approaches to decreasing alcohol use during pregnancy exist, research suggests healthcare professionals face challenges in implementing them.

This FASD Awareness Month, implement alcohol screening and Brief intervention (SBI) into your practice for all adult patients and learn how to discuss alcohol and pregnancy with your patients. Alcohol SBI is recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and endorsed by major medical professional organizations, such as the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Medical Association, and the American Academy ofPediatrics, as well as Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Five things to know about prenatal alcohol exposure and alcohol SBI

1. Prenatal alcohol exposure is a leading preventable cause of birth defects and neurodevelopmental abnormalities in the U.S. FASDs are preventable if a developing baby is not exposed to alcohol before birth.
2. Not all babies will be affected by prenatal alcohol exposure. However, it is impossible to know which babies will be affected, and no definite test for FASDs is available.3 Therefore, there is no known safe amount, no safe time, and no safe type of alcohol use during pregnancy.
3. Alcohol SBI is quick and may be reimbursable. Although many screening tools exist, a brief screening can be conducted using as little as one question, and the entire service takes about 2-10 minutes.
4. Alcohol SBI works! In a 2021 study, 83% of healthcare professionals who conduct SBI said they have seen positive behavior change in patients after conducting an SBI with them.4,5
5. Resources and free continuing medical education (CME) are available to help you

• Alcohol SBI Implementation Guide (CDC)
• Single Alcohol Screening Question (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism)
• Let’s Talk Patient Education Materials (CDC)
• How to Begin a Conversation about Alcohol Use (video) (CDC)
• The Healthcare Professional’s Core Resource on Alcohol (CME) (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism).

References

1. May, P. et al. Prevalence of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders in 4 US Communities. JAMA. 2018
2. England, L. et al. Alcohol Use and Co-Use of Other Substances Among Pregnant Females Aged 12–44 Years — United States, 2015–2018. MMWR. 2020.
3. Turchi, R. et al. AAP Committee on Substance Use and Prevention. The Role of Integrated Care in a Medical Home for Patients with a Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. Pediatrics. 2018.
4. Curry, S. et al. Screening and Behavioral Counseling Interventions to Reduce Unhealthy Alcohol Use in Adolescents and Adults: US Preventive Services Task Force. JAMA. 2018.
5. The Community Guide. Alcohol Excessive Consumption: Electronic Screening and Brief Interventions (e-SBI).