Local and State Action to Prevent Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders
Alcohol use during pregnancy is the leading preventable cause of birth defects and developmental disabilities. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1 in 13 pregnant women reported drinking alcohol in the past 30 days in Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data between 2006 and 2010. Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) is a term that describes a range of effects that can occur in children exposed to alcohol in utero. FASD affects an estimated 40,000 newborns, each year, in the U.S. These effects may be physical, mental, and behavioral, with possibility of having lifelong implications.
