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Educating Families, Professionals, and the Public

Prenatal exposure to alcohol is known to be harmful to the developing fetus, resulting in severe and lifelong negative consequences. While surveys indicate that people have heard the term fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), reports from parents, school staff, and health care providers indicate that the general level of understanding about the condition and the needs of children who have it are not well understood.

Improvements in screening, identification, and treatment of children with FAS and other alcohol-related disorders can be enhanced through systematic efforts to educate health professions students and practitioners about these disorders. Such efforts will contribute toward the goal of better identification, diagnosis, and referral for treatment for individuals with prenatal alcohol exposure.

Parents, caregivers, school staff, and others who are with children with FAS every day, can benefit from learning more about the syndrome, how it affects the child, strategies for working with the child to best enable him or her to meet his or her full potential, and how to locate appropriate services for the affected child and his or her family.

CDC is committed to the education and awareness of those who care for and work with individuals affected by prenatal alcohol exposure. CDC supports the following education activities:

• Enhanced Resources for Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Prevention

• Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Awareness and Education Project

• Regional Centers for the Education and Training of Medical and Allied Health Students and Professionals on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Other Prenatal Alcohol-Related Disorders

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This page was last updated Thursday, August 05, 2004

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities

The National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD) promotes the health of babies, children, and adults, and enhances the potential for full, productive living.  Our work includes identifying the causes of birth defects and developmental disabilities, helping children to develop and reach their full potential, and promoting health and well-being among people of all ages with disabilities.