Sec. 2. Findings

840 words·~4 min read·/bill/113/s/237/is/section-2

A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.

Congress makes the following findings: Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

(FASD)are the spectrum of serious, life-long disorders caused by prenatal exposure to alcohol, which include Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Alcohol-Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder, and Alcohol-Related Birth Defects. In the decades that have passed since Fetal Alcohol Syndrome was first recognized in the United States, this fully preventable condition has continued to affect American children and families. Prenatal alcohol exposure can cause brain damage that produces cognitive and behavioral impairments. Prenatal alcohol exposure can cause intellectual disabilities or low IQ and difficulties with learning, memory, attention, and problem solving. It can also create problems with executive functioning and adaptive behavior that impairs mental health and social interaction. Prenatal alcohol exposure does not always result in below average IQ or visible birth defects, which makes Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders difficult to identify, leading to improper treatment or denial of support services. Prenatal alcohol exposure also can cause growth retardation, birth defects involving the heart, kidney, vision and hearing, and a characteristic pattern of facial abnormalities. Prenatal alcohol exposure can also result in secondary behavioral characteristics that may include mental health disorders and learning and behavioral problems resulting in disrupted school experience, trouble with the law, incarceration, inappropriate sexual behavior, alcohol or drug problems, dependent living, and problems with employment. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, more than 1 in 5 women report drinking alcohol in the first trimester of pregnancy, 1 in 14 in the second trimester, and 1 in 20 in the third trimester, even though there is no known safe level of alcohol consumption during pregnancy. The incidence rate for all Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders is estimated in a publication of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism to be about 10 out of 1,000 births (1 percent of births) or 40,000 newborns each year. It is estimated that as many as 2 per 1,000, or 20 percent of alcohol exposed newborns, have Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, the most serious and identifiable of the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. As measured by the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Surveillance Network, a partnership between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and 5 different States, prevalence of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders can be even higher in certain populations, such as American Indians and Alaska Natives, foster care children, adoptive children from the United States and from countries where alcohol consumption is more prevalent, and in certain areas, such as those characterized by low socioeconomic status. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders pose extraordinary financial costs to the Nation, including the cost of specialized health care, education, foster care, incarceration, job training, and general support services for individuals affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. Lifetime health costs for an individual with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome ranges from $860,000 to $4,000,000. The cost of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome in the United States is estimated to be at least $6,000,000,000 in 2007. Total economic costs would be even higher for all Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. There is a great need for research, surveillance, prevention, treatment, and support services for individuals with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders and their families. The National Institutes of Health, in coordination with other Federal agencies, the Interagency Coordinating Committee on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, and the National Task Force on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effect, has an opportunity to advance research on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders in many areas, including the following: The identification of the mechanisms that produce the cognitive and behavioral problems associated with fetal alcohol exposure. The identification of a neurocognitive and neurobehavioral phenotype for prenatal alcohol-related conditions other than Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. The identification of biological markers that can be used to indicate fetal alcohol exposure. The identification of fetal and maternal risk factors that increase susceptibility to Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. The investigation of behavioral and pharmacotherapies for alcohol-dependent women to determine new approaches for sustaining recovery. The development of scientific-based pharmacologic and nutrient augmentation-based pre- and post-natal interventions to antagonize or mitigate the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure. The development of neurocognitive interventions to address deficits in neurocognitive function for individuals with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. The development of standards for measuring, reporting, and analyzing alcohol consumption patterns in pregnant women. The development of enhanced technological approaches for the diagnosis of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders including investigation of prenatal ultrasound, non-invasive imaging, three-dimensional facial feature imaging and their application in telemedicine to aid in remote diagnosis. The evaluation of the role of alcohol in Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), unexplained stillbirth, and premature birth. The collection and banking of biomaterials for future analyses to aid in the identification of genetic and other biological and environmental risk factors contributing in the development of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. The identification of barriers to implementing alcohol screening in primary care and obstetric practice, and explore the acceptability of new screening technologies, such as computer assisted interviewing. The development of approaches for selected and indicated prevention, to decrease the potential for FASD births among the women at greatest risk for these disorders.