“Like ripples in a stream, one drop of information can create waves of knowledge regarding prenatal alcohol use.”

Laura – Birth mother of a person with FASD

Laura Parker is a member of the Circle of Hope Birth Mothers Network.  In this video, she speaks to medical students at Georgetown University.  The medical students enrolled in an FASD course organized by NOFAS.  Laura discusses her alcoholism and the difficulty of being a parent to a person with FASD.

FEATURES

NOFAS Statements
NOFAS Supports Ian Rey NOFAS is proud to support Ian Rey in his fight to regain his job at Sprouts Farmers Market, a grocery store in Point Loma, California.  Rey lives with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and has proven himself a valuable employee of Sprouts as evidenced by his 14 years of service and his Employee of the Month award.  He was fired earlier this month for erroneously taking home a coworkers jacket that he dutifully returned the next day when he realized his mistake.

NOFAS Objects to Tone of ABC News Article NOFAS objects to the tone of an ABC News article titled “Partum Shots: 9 Months of Diet Advice” about unwanted health advice that pregnant women receive.  The article implies that the health recommendations to completely abstain from alcohol due to the risk of birth defects is a kind of nagging, pestering message that pregnant women are annoyed with.  The article originally stated, incorrectly, that the position of ACOG, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, is that wine is safe during pregnancy in moderation.

Community
Dr. Oz column: Pregnancy and drinking still don’t mix Dr. Mehmet Oz of “The Dr. Oz Show” and Dr. Mike Roizen, chief medical officer at the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute, write on the issue of alcohol and pregnancy: “A fetus’s alcohol tolerance level is unknowable. And we don’t know what environmental stressors may switch on genes that pass along vulnerability to alcoholism or learning disabilities. The responsible thing is to say “no” to anything that might cause problems for your baby.”

ABC Local News story on FASD ABC News affiliate WLOS in North Carolina covers FASD in a Health Alert segment.  The report profiles a mother and her 17-year old daughter who has FASD.  Health professionals at Fullerton Genetics Center discuss FASD diagnosis.

Older couples adopting children with FASD Article on the trend of older adult couples choosing to adopt children, often with special needs.  One parent, Rebecca Gawboy, has adopted seven children with FASD.  “Some of these older parents are empty-nesters who apparently didn’t have their fill of child-rearing the first time around.” From The New York Times.

Research
U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendations on Alcohol SBI “The USPSTF recommends that clinicians screen adults aged 18 years or older for alcohol misuse and provide persons engaged in risky or hazardous drinking with brief behavioral counseling interventions to reduce alcohol misuse.  The USPSTF concludes that the current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of screening and behavioral counseling interventions in primary care settings to reduce alcohol misuse in adolescents.”

Policy
Vermont Department of Health launches ’049′ campaign “The Vermont Department of Health is launching an informational outreach campaign called ’049′…049 will be launched statewide with a news release, social media messages and web resources. Health Department district office staff will deliver posters, buttons and print materials to help health care providers advise and support their patients in the decision not to drink.”

NTSB recommends lowering blood alcohol level that constitutes drunken driving “The National Transportation Safety Board voted to recommend to states that they lower the blood-alcohol content that constitutes drunken driving.  Currently, all 50 states have set a BAC level of .08, reflecting the percentage of alcohol, by volume, in the blood. If a driver is found to have a BAC level of .08 or above, he or she is subject to arrest and prosecution.  The NTSB recommends dropping that to a BAC level of .05.” From NBC News.

Events
Webinar: FASD Intervention Strategies – Part I: A Global Approach to Interventions Appropriate to a Person with an FASD May 23, 2013. 1:00 PM-2:30 PM EST. “If it is accurate that a person with an FASD will always need an external executive function (per Sterling Clarren) it would behoove caregivers and service providers alike to be aware of intervention strategies that apply to every individual with an FASD and every situation relative to that individual. This webinar offers exactly that. Dr. Susan Doctor will discuss strategies that she calls “global” intervention strategies. She will spell out the rationale for and value of each global strategy as applied to the provision of appropriate supports for the individual with an FASD.”

Webinar: FASD Intervention Strategies – Part II: The Hope is in the Interventions: A Comprehensive Model of Hope June 20, 2013. 1:00 PM-2:30PM EST. “Here you will learn about a comprehensive model that can be utilized when in personal or professional relationship with an individual with an FASD. There are three types of strategies that will be discussed. The first is Individual Interventions – strategies to assist caregivers and service providers relative to the life circumstances of that individual. The second type is Dynamic Case Management – a method of a team approach to case management that can better assist the person with an FASD. Lastly will be the discussion of Policy Issues that can either assist or hinder the provision of appropriate supports. Remember, the hope is in the interventions!”

MOFAS Family Retreat in Brainerd, MN ”This summer you have 2 weekends to choose from: June 28-July 1, or July 26-29. MOFAS Summer Family Retreat 2013 will take place in Brainerd, just 150 miles northwest of the Twin Cities. We have collaborated with Confidence Learning Center to provide a safe and fun weekend experience. Please choose one retreat to attend this year so that we can have room for all families to join the fun!  All activities and experiences are planned with the needs of individuals with an FASD in mind. MOFAS will again be providing training to all Learning Center Staff about FASD and what that means to an individual and a family.”

Save the Date: FASD Conference from MRFASTC August 2, 2013. NOFAS Spokesperson Kathy Mitchell will provide a keynote presentation. “The Nebraska and Iowa Chapters of the Midwest Regional Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Training Center invites to a continuing education event.  In an effort to increase awareness and service quality, the FASD Conference 2013, brings together local and national experts in the areas of prevention, diagnosis, treatment and parenting of children affected by pre-natal drug and alcohol exposure.”

Event: FASD: Best Practices in the Last Frontier. May 22-24, 2013. Anchorage, Alaska. The Arctic FASD Regional Training Center and the University of Alaska Anchorage Center for Behavioral Health Research and Services invites you to attend the 2013 conference on FASDs. NOFAS’ Vice President and spokesperson, Kathy Mitchell, will discuss the importance of reaching birth mothers to prevent FASD during a lunchtime keynote.