Preventing Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: Missouri Works to Improve Alcohol-Related Assessment and Referral Skills of WIC Nutritionists

Abstract

The number one preventable cause of mental retardation is alcohol consumption during pregnancy. As human service professionals, dietitians are in an ideal position to educate women regarding the dangers of alcohol use at the time of conception, throughout pregnancy, and during breastfeeding. The non-adversarial relationship that is generally present between dietitian and client provides a non-threatening opportunity for this extremely important exchange of information. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Missouri Department of Health, Bureau of Disabilities Prevention, have cooperatively developed a program for the prevention of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). A training module was developed which was distributed to all WIC district offices in Missouri. The goal of the program was to improve alcohol-related assessment, referral and reporting skills of WIC workers as well as to increase awareness of problems associated with alcohol consumption during pregnancy. The training module consisted of four parts: an overview of FAS; screening for maternal alcohol use; assessing the need for a referral; and making effective individualized referrals. Each copy included the training manual, transparency masters, and slides of children with FAS. In addition to distributing the modules, workshops were conducted throughout the state to train WIC nutritionists. This program is expected to improve the identification and referral of women who are discovered during the WIC certification process to have possible alcohol-related problems. Based on national statistics, it would be expected that at least 10% of WIC clients have a problem with alcohol abuse. Because the incidence of alcohol use during pregnancy remains greatly under reported, the role of the registered dietitian in education regarding FAS and in enhancing screening skills for alcohol abuse is crucial.