| FAS Rates Unchanged | |
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Fetal alcohol syndrome is caused by drinking during pregnancy and can lead to long-term mental, developmental and behavioral problems. The CDC's May 24th issue of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report said that the rate of binge or frequent drinking among pregnant women has not changed since 1995.
The rate of FAS is highest among blacks, American Indian and Alaska Natives, the report said. This confirms an earlier study by the Alcohol Research Group, Berkeley, CA. That research concluded that "Native American and Afro-American women are at the highest risk to have babies with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and should be targeted for intense education about the cause of the condition."
The CDC report was a result of analyzing data from the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Surveillance Network (FASSNet), a program designed to track fetal alcohol syndrome. Some of the findings include:
- The rate of fetal alcohol syndrome in children born between 1995 and 1997 in Alaska, Arizona, Colorado and New York ranged from 0.3 to 1.5 per 1,000 live births.
- Rates were highest among blacks (range, 0.9-1.6) and American Indian/Alaska Natives (range, 2.5-5.6).
- Healthcare providers should be as vigilant as possible in trying to identify children with fetal alcohol syndrome, researchers said.
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