Tracking Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

The reported prevalence rates of FAS vary widely depending on the population studied and the surveillance methods used. CDC studies show FAS prevalence rates ranging from 0.2 to 1.5 per 1,000 live births in different areas of the United States. Other prenatal alcohol-related conditions, such as alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder (ARND) and alcohol-related birth defects (ARBD), are believed to occur approximately three times as often as FAS.

Population-based surveillance of FAS is important to document the magnitude of the problem and to monitor trends in the occurrence of this preventable birth defect. In 1997, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) established or enhanced statewide, population-based surveillance of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS).
 

Purposes of FAS Surveillance Network:

The specific purposes of the population-based Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Surveillance Network (FASSNet) initiative and the cooperative agreements were to:

• Enhance an existing system or develop and implement a new system that uses a multiple-source surveillance methodology to enable researchers to determine the prevalence of FAS within a geographically defined area (statewide, multiple states, or regions within a state);
• Improve the capacity to ascertain true cases of FAS and generate population-based surveillance data;
• Establish relations with facilities or programs where FAS is likely to be diagnosed or children with FAS receive services, such as high-risk newborn registries, special diagnostic units, special education programs, special needs registries, and other programs or settings for children with developmental disabilities;
• Evaluate the completeness of the surveillance system methodology, the system's ability to generate a prevalence rate for FAS, and the potential for monitoring trends; and
• Implement health-care provider training and education on FAS to improve case ascertainment, referral and case-management practices, and prevention activities.

FASSNet Sites:

FASSNet projects were in five states. Click on a state listed below to learn more about its program. This cooperative agreement ended in 2003.
 

DISCLAIMER: Links to organizations outside of CDC are included for information only. CDC has no control over the information at these sites. Views and opinions of these organizations are not necessarily those of CDC, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), or the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS).

Alaska | Arizona | Colorado | New York | Wisconsin

FASSNet links to the pdf formatted documents medical provider education materials and a charting tool to enhance FAS case ascertainment and improve the surveillance of FAS. 

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