Listed below are links to agencies and programs currently engaged in surveillance of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders and maternal use of alcohol during pregnancy.
- FAS Diagnostic & Prevention Network (FAS DPN), University of Washington
The Washington State FAS DPN, established in 1993, is a statewide network of interdisciplinary, FASD diagnostic clinics led by the core clinical/research/training clinic at the University of Washington. All clinics use the (2004) FASD 4-Digit Diagnostic Code. The mission of the FAS DPN is prevention of FASD through screening, diagnosis, intervention, surveillance, training and research.
The FAS DPN tracks the annual prevalence of FAS by birth cohort among all children enrolled in the Foster Care Passport Program FAS Screening Program. This surveillance activity recently documented a statistically significant decline in the prevalence of FAS among the children born from 1993 to 1998. These are the same years that PRAMS (see below) documents a significant decline in maternal consumption of alcohol during pregnancy. More information (including a published paper) on this surveillance activity can be found under the PREVENTION section of this website.
- Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System, (PRAMS), Department of Health
PRAMS is a CDC-sponsored, ongoing, population-based surveillance system designed to monitor self-reported maternal behaviors (including alcohol use) that occur before, during and after pregnancy. Washington State is one of many states participating in PRAMS. The WA State Department of Health has collected PRAMS data since 1993. The 1999 PRAMS Surveillance Report (page 81), posted on the Center for Disease Control website, reports the prevalence of maternal drinking during pregnancy from 1993 to 1999 across the 15 participating states. Washington State documented a statistically significant decline in the prevalence of maternal drinking during pregnancy from 1993 to 1999. Table 1, in the PREVENTION section of this website, documents the trends across each state as reported by the CDC.
- Washington State Birth Defects Surveillance, Department of Health
The Washington State Birth Defects Surveillance System was an active surveillance system form 1986 to 1991. Since then, the system has been passive, relying on hospitals to report cases of children with birth defects. Currently, an enhancement project is in progress to develop a web-based, electronic reporting system to reduce the reporting burden to hospitals. The FAS Diagnostic & Prevention Network (FAS DPN) reports all cases of FAS to the State Birth Defects Surveillance Program. Washington State has approximately 80,000 live births every year with an estimated 2,400 to 3,200 children diagnosed with birth defects based on an annual prevalence proportion of 2-4 per 100 live births per year.
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