Morgan Mackay

For my public health trends assignment, I chose to focus on a specific heath concern rather than a specific region.  My interests are in Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders and the awareness method of prevention.  In the past, I have done a bit of scientific inquiry through my connections as a volunteer in a Neonatal ICU.  I have focused mainly on the effects and the reasons that the public needs to be aware of FASD and so I chose to take this opportunity to delve into methods of prevention. Obviously, FASDs are 100% preventable through abstaining from alcohol during pregnancy.  This is easier in theory than in practice.  Our goal should not be to scare women into not drinking, but to provide support for them as they endeavor to abstain during pregnancy.

            I called the National Organization of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (NOFAS) and spoke with Katelyn Reitz, Director of Development at NOFAS.  As I talked with Katelyn the message she stressed most was that there is a negative connotation associated with women that drink during pregnancy and that influences a woman’s desire for help.  This negative stigma is a large problem because it encourages people to avoid the subject matter.  Thereby, the awareness of FASD is negatively affected.

            The populations that are most likely to engage in risky behaviors are very diverse because anybody can drink while they are pregnant.  Even one drink before one is even certain of pregnancy can harm a growing fetus.  The population that is treated most often for FASD is children that have been adopted.  Because of the nature of adoption and the confidentiality that is associated with it, there is little information about their mothers.  Most often, children of Native American parents are those that are recognized as having a being treated for a FASD.

            The only way to prevent FASDs is advocacy and awareness.  FASDs are more common than the public may believe.  They are manifest later in development and so it is hard to diagnose an infant with a FASD.  As we become more aware of FASD and its symptoms more and more children are being diagnosed and treated for their symptoms.   There are a lot of mixed messages that are being sent, not only from media, but from misinformed health professionals as well.  Most of the public doesn’t understand the issue, how to approach it, and how to recognize it. 

            This specific situation is a perfect example of how Public Health can intervene.  It is clear that medical advances are limited.  Medicine can only treat the symptoms instead of providing a cure.  Public Health, through awareness, promotion, and prevention, will be able to help us prevent FASDs as well as help those that are diagnosed to find treatments and assimilate into a healthy lifestyle.