Office of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Research & Evaluation

FASD Evaluation Project | FAS Surveillance | Birth Defects Registry | KABB

Alaska's FAS Surveillance Project

Defining FAS: In order to diagnosis FAS, a certain cluster of symptoms must be present, along with the confirmation that the child's mother consumed alcohol while she was pregnant. This cluster of symptoms can include abnormal facial features associated with FAS, central nervous system abnormalities, and growth delays. These abnormalities and growth delays can be present at different levels of severity. Because of this, it is important to define a set of consistent criteria to be used in surveillance activities.

The section of Maternal, Child and Family Health established the Alaska Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Surveillance Project in 1998. The Surveillance Project is part of a collaborative effort with the Centers for Disease Control and PRevention (CDC) and four other states (NY, WI, CO, AZ). These five states make up the National FAS Surveillance Network (FASSNet). FASSNet has developed a standardized surveillance case definition for FAS surveillance. Participating states (with the exception of Wisconsin) use the same case definition and the same case abstraction methods; however, each of the five states uses varying methodologies for identifying potential FAS Cases.

FAS surveillance in Alaska is based on reports to the Alaska Birth Defects registry. The Alaska Birth Defects registry is population based and uses a multiple source methodology for recording all reportable birth defects. The FAS surveillance Project and the Alaska Birth Defects Registry are housed in the Division of Public Health's Section of Maternal Child and Family Health, MCH Epidemiology Unit.

Link to FAS Surveillance State Website

For more information about this project contact FAS Surveillance Project Coordinator, 907/269-3406.