The Prenatal Promise: The Challenges and Hope of an Alcohol Free Pregnancy By the: T exas O ffice for P revention of D evelopmental D isabilities .

The Prenatal Promise:

The Challenges and Hope of an Alcohol Free Pregnancy

By the: Texas

Office for

Prevention of

Developmental

Disabilities www.topdd.state.tx.us Staff: Janet Sharkis, Patricia Bailey, June Villarreal

True or false –fun quiz!Alcohol exposure can be more damaging to a baby than drug exposure.With the right support, children with FASD catch up to their peers.Prenatal alcohol exposure is the leading cause of mental retardation in the United States.FASD is as prevalent as Autism Spectrum Disorder.FASD was identified 30 years ago.FASD is more common among wealthier families.Children with physical signs of FASD, such as their facial appearance, demonstrate the most behavioral issues.Fewer than 10% of the people born with an FASD can live independently.Most children with an FASD have an IQ within the normal range.Children with an FASD are often misdiagnosed with Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD).Alcohol passed through breastfeeding is not dangerous to the baby.Approximately 1 out of 100 children have an FASD.

Some more data (just felt like I needed to give you more stats, sorry ) There is a lot of drinking going on among women of childbearing age* in Texas!

10.9% binge drink (more than 7 drinks on any occasion)

3.9% chronically drink

At risk for binge/heavy drinking: large metro areas: 19.8 % Rural areas: 6.2%

Some of them may be pregnant and don’t know it.

* Childbearing age defined as 18-44 years.

We know that lots of pregnant women in TX are drinking

One month before delivery, pregnant women admitted:

9.3% alcohol use2.2% binge alcohol use1.1% admitted heavy use

In TX the number one reason women are admitted to treatment… Alcohol!

alcoholusers

bingedrinkers

heavyusers

Another factor…unplanned pregnancies

Although specific data on unplanned pregnancies is hard to come by, we can draw

some conclusions:

Texas has the 5th highest teen pregnancy rate in the country. (mostly unplanned)

70% of the pregnancies of college students in Texas are unplanned.

Texas ranks 38th in the nation on prenatal care (may partially be because so many don’t know they are pregnant.)

If many women didn’t plan to be pregnant and didn’t know They were pregnant, they wouldn’t have felt the need totake any special precautions related to their health or diet.

There is no reason to believe that they aren’t drinking as usual.

A perfect storm in TexasSocial messages and norms:

Reproductive health, an

uncomfortable topic

Lots of drinking

and acceptance of alcohol

Many Women Don’t plan pregnancy or

Don’t know they are

pregnant

Option 1: The Conversation

I often start these conversations with

1)An affirmation about the client and then:2)An “I was surprised to learn” statement.

With the affirmation statement, I try to find something specific about the client… or about the hopes and dreams the individual has about her family and her life.

Then the “I was surprised to learn” statement is a way of leveling the playing field with the client and sharing a piece of information about alcohol and child development.

Practice

Break up into small groups and just work

on the first 2 pieces, an affirmation and

the bridge statement, which for me is the

surprise statement.

If you have other ways of beginning the

Conversation, you can use them and

share!

Option 2: The 4 Ps: Parents, Partners, Past and Present

Developed by Dr. Ira Chasnoff

Did either of your parents have any problems with alcohol or drugs?

Does your partner have any problems with drugs or alcohol?

Have you ever drunk beer, wine, liquor? (past)

In the month before you knew you were pregnant, did you smoke cigarettes? (present)

In the month before you had any idea you were pregnant, did you drink? (pregnancy)

Option 3: Comparison of Drinking

No drinking

or moderate

80%

Risky drinking

20%

Low risk=

No more than 7 drinks per week and no more than 3 drinks in a day.

High risk=

More than 7 drinks per week or more than 3 drinks in a day.

Note that this chart is for the general population, not pregnant women.

Drinking Comparison

Discussion:

health of your child

Not Important Very Important

More discussion

Your health in relation to your child, baby, unborn child…

Not Important

Very important

How its going…

Not taking care of my

health

Taking care of my health

Define together all of what taking care of health means: mental health, positive relationships, eating, sleeping habits, reproductive health, substance use-alcohol, tobacco, other drugs, exercise.

The Peacock Challenge: Taking stock I take pride that I am doing ___ for my health.

I take pride in avoiding these things _____ that can hurt my health.

I can make my health and my baby healthier by _________________.

Are you ready? To improve

your health (and the health of your

baby) ?

Not now

Okay, I am thinking about it

I am planning on it.

I am committed to it.

I am working on it.

The look and feel of FASD behavior What you see

Throws fits

Breaks rules

Learning problems

Doesn’t sit still

Lying

Why its happening

Constantly frustratedCan’t remember rules, can’t generalize from one situation to another, can’t understand underlying concept Unable to interpret instructions, retain information, understand cause and effect, deal with abstract concepts.Experiencing sensory overload, neurologically based need to move while learning.Doesn’t recall, can’t sequence, trying to figure out what others want to hear.

What they need

Consistent environment-minor changes can impact child.

Repetition

Visual, kinesthetic, along with verbal

Rephrasing

Rhyming

Small chunks of information

On Line training April 29th

Drinking before Birth: The Truth and the Consequence

By Janet Sharkis and Natalie Furdek, Lead Program Specialist Women's Substance Abuse Services

Coordinator

This training will focus more on the specifics around FASD and the brain and include more specific information about

referral resources.

Resourceswww.topdd.state.tx.us www.thearcoftexas.orgwww.depts.washington.edu/faduwww.cr-triangle.orghttp://ntiupstream.com/MCHBproject/http://www.guttmacher.org/statecenter/http://www.fasdcenter.samhsa.gov/

If you or someone you know would like information about substance abuse treatment or prevention, please visit:

http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/sa/