Dakota's Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Prevention Project
Project Description:
Alcohol continues to be the most commonly used teratogen in the western world, despite the knowledge that exposure in utero can produce Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) and an array of other alcohol related effects. In the United States, prenatal exposure to alcohol is one of the leading causes of mental retardation and it is the only cause that is 100% preventable. This project is a collaborative effort between university representatives from South and North Dakota in partnership with the Departments of Health from each state. The Center for Disabilities at the University of South Dakota School of Medicine (USDSM) and the FAS Center at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine (UNDSM) have been designated by their represnetative Departments of Health as bona fide agents for this project. The primary purpose of this grant is to implement prevention efforts aimed at women at high-rist for drinking alcohol during pregnancy. A second focus is to monitor the number individuals diagnosed with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and other prenatal alcohol-related conditions.
Prevention efforts will be targeted at primary-care settings to arm them with the tools and knowledge needed to identify women at high-risk for alchol consumption during pregnancy and provide them with an intervention model designed to decrease and optimally prevent prenatal exposure. Two primary health-care sites from each state have been selected to serve as pilot locations for this project. The clinic sites were selected because of their service to high-risk popuations and interest in improving their care for women at risk for an alcohol-exposed pregnancy. This project incorporates surveillance activities to identify those at-risk for an alcohol exposed pregnancy, as well as the implementation of a risk stratification plan designed to guide primary-care settings with intervention implementation. Women whose behavioral and/or demographic characteristics place them in the moderate or high rist categories will receive a clinic-based intervention designed to reduce the risk of an alcohol-exposed pregnancy. The clinic-based interventions will rely on motivational interviewing skills and techniques; a tool strongly supported in the addiction literature. Women with a moderate level of risk may require only one brief intervention session, whereas those in the high risk category will likely require more attention and may be referred to an external agency for additonal services. The primary goal of this project is to reduce the number of alcohol exposed pregnancies in efforts to promote the birth of healthy infants in South and North Dakota.
Keyword(s):
FAS, Prevention, Maternal Alcohol Use, Motivational Interviewing
Core Function(s):
Performing Research or Evaluation
Area of Emphasis
Health-Related Activities
Target Audience:
Professionals and Para-Professionals, Family Members/Caregivers
Unserved or Under-served Populations:
Racial or Ethnic Minorities, Disadvantaged Circumstances, Geographic Areas, Reservation, Rural/Remote, Specific Groups
Primary Target Audience Geographic Descriptor:
Regional
COVID-19 Related Data:
N/A
