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January
National Birth Defects Prevention Month
The March of Dimes, an international organization devoted to the discovery, treatment,
and elimination of birth defects, is the driving force behind National Birth Defects
Prevention Month. Birth defects occur while a baby is growing during pregnancy
and can cause physical or mental disabilities, and in some cases even death. There
are many different birth defects, and the March of Dimes estimates that approximately
120,000 babies are born each year in the United States with at least one. Among
the most common are heart defects, cleft lip and cleft palate, Down syndrome, Spina
Bifida, and FASD.
The March of Dimes is leading the way in discovering the genetic causes of birth
defects, promoting newborn screening, and educating medical professionals and the
public about best practices for healthy pregnancy. It has supported research for
surfactant therapy to treat respiratory distress and helped initiate the system
of regional neonatal intensive care for premature and sick babies. Many babies born
with an FASD experience these symptoms and need this care.
Like the March of Dimes, the FASD Center for Excellence supports and promotes prevention,
intervention, and diagnosis programs that are helping to eliminate alcohol-exposed
pregnancies and help children and families living with FASD. The FASD Center for
Excellence and March of Dimes both urge all women to have a preconception health
checkup and continue with prenatal care throughout pregnancy.
Links to Learn More
March
National Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month
Intellectual disabilities occur for a variety of reasons, among them prenatal exposure
to alcohol. The FASD Center for Excellence recognizes and supports the efforts of
numerous national and local organizations that work to improve systems, services,
and supports, and to educate individuals, families, and communities affected by
intellectual disabilities. During Intellectual Disabilities Awareness Month,
some of these organizations redouble their efforts to deliver their messages. To
assist, the FASD Center for Excellence Web site offers links to Web sites that address
this issue and provide helpful information to parents and families.
Links to Learn More
April
Alcohol Awareness Month
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that one in six U.S.
adults (ages 18 and over) engage in binge drinking, and that those who do binge
drink tend to do so frequently and with high intensity.1
[Binge drinking is defined as consuming four or more drinks on an occasion for women,
or five or more drinks on an occasion for men.] Excessive alcohol consumption is
estimated to cause approximately 80,000 deaths in the U.S. each year.2
In addition, abuse of alcohol can lead to many other adverse health and social outcomes,
including liver cirrhosis, breast and colon cancer, unintentional injuries, violence,
unintended pregnancy, and FASD.3
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) sponsors
Alcohol Awareness Month every year to inform Americans about the damage
that excessive alcohol consumption can cause, and to encourage everyone to follow
some simple guidelines:
- Don't drink if you are under the legal drinking age.
- Only drink alcohol in moderation.
- If you are pregnant, or may become pregnant, don't drink alcohol. There is no known
safe amount or type of alcohol to drink during pregnancy.
Links to Learn More
National Minority Health Month
FASD Center for Excellence Strives to Improve the Health of Minority Populations
The Office of Minority Health at HHS makes a variety of resources available each
April to spotlight National Minority Health Month. Unified under a theme each year
(the theme was 2012 was “Health Equity Can’t Wait, Act Now in Your CommUNITY!”),
these resources are designed as a call to action and unity for the regions, the
state and local offices of minority health, the health departments, and all the
organizations and partners involved and invested in reducing health disparities.
Materials and guides are available for professionals and consumers, and can help
individuals or organizations raise awareness, convene a Town Hall meeting, register
a new event, or find existing local events related to minority health issues.
Links to Learn More:
May
Mental Health Awareness Month
Mental Health America (MHA), like SAMHSA, is dedicated to battling the stigma, shame,
and myths surrounding mental disorders. Formerly known as the National Mental Health
Association, MHA is a nationwide nonpartisan public education organization launched
as part of the 1999 White House Conference on Mental Health. Since 1949, MHA has
sponsored and celebrated Mental Health Awareness Month. The goal is to
provide education and create a more accepting environment for people to seek the
help they need.
Links to Learn More
June
Children's Awareness Month
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is proud to sponsor Children's
Awareness Month each June in order to focus America’s attention on the
importance of creating safe environments for children. Specifically, the annual
campaign seeks to:
- Increase awareness of the vulnerability of children to violence;
- Teach people how to spot early warning signs of child emotional and behavioral problems;
and
- Encourage everyone to take action to eliminate the incidences, causes, and effects
of violence to children.
The FASD Center for Excellence supports the effort to raise awareness of child trauma
and abuse, as children with an FASD are at an increased risk for experiencing multiple
traumas throughout their lifespan.4
Links to Learn More
September
National Recovery Month (Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month)
According to SAMHSA’s most recent National Survey on Drug Use and Health
(NSDUH), 23.1 million persons in the U.S. aged 12 or older needed treatment for
an illicit drug or alcohol use problem in 2010. Of these, only 2.6 million (just
over 11%) received treatment at a specialty facility, meaning that nearly 89% of
those who needed treatment did not receive specialized care.5
In addition, many people seeking substance abuse treatment may already have an unrecognized
FASD, as individuals with FASD experience higher rates than the general population
of substance abuse issues.6
Each September, SAMHSA sponsors National Recovery Month to help raise awareness
of this significant treatment gap. National Recovery Month promotes the societal
benefits of prevention, treatment, and recovery for mental and substance use disorders,
celebrates people in recovery, lauds the contributions of treatment and service
providers, and promotes the message that recovery in all its forms is possible.
If you feel that you or a loved one has a problem with alcohol or another drug,
you can follow the links below to learn more about National Recovery Month
or access treatment resources near you.
Links to Learn More
The following resources can be helpful for women who have or may have an FASD and
are in recovery:
November
National Adoption Month
November is National Adoption Month. Since 1995, this month has been set
aside to raise awareness of the importance of adopting children and youth from foster
care. Many children born with an FASD become foster children, sometimes repeatedly.
Initiatives such as National Adoption Month help to spotlight the need
for loving families to care for these and all children who are awaiting adoption,
and also provide valuable information so that prospective parents can make informed
decisions about the adoption process.
Links to Learn More
National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Month
Each November is also National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Month.
According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s 2010 Annual
Homeless Assessment Report to Congress (2010 AHAR), the number of people
experiencing homelessness on a single night was 649,917 in January 2010 (up 1.1%
from the same survey in 2009). Overall, more than 1.59 million people spent at least
one night in an emergency shelter or transitional housing program during the 2010
AHAR reporting period (up 2.2% from 2009).6
A variety of factors contribute to and result from homelessness, including lack
of affordable housing, unemployment, mental health issues (26.2% of sheltered persons
who were homeless in the 2010 AHAR had a severe mental illness), and substance abuse
(34.7% of persons in the same survey had chronic substance use issues). Individuals
with an FASD have also been shown to be at a high risk for experiencing homelessness
during their lifetimes.7
Addressing homelessness is a key part of SAMHSA’s Recovery Support Strategic Initiative.
To learn more about what SAMHSA and other agencies are doing to address this national
issue, follow the links below.
Links to Learn More
1CDC. 2012. Vital signs: Binge drinking prevalence, frequency,
and intensity among adults—United States, 2010. MMWR Jan 10:61:1-7.
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6101a4.htm.
2Bouchery, E. E., Harwood, H. J., Sacks, J. J., Simon,
C. J., & Brewer, R. D. 2011. Economic costs of excessive alcohol consumption
in the United States, 2006. American Journal of Preventive Medicine 41:516-524.
3Community Guide Branch, Epidemiology Analysis Program
Office (EAPO), Office of Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services (OSELS).
2010. Preventing Excessive Alcohol Use. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention. http://www.thecommunityguide.org/alcohol/index.html 
.
4Institute of Health Economics. 2009. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum
Disorders (FASD): Across the lifespan. Proceedings from an IHE Consensus Development
Conference. Alberta, CA: Institute of Health Economics.
5Office of Applied Studies. 2011. Results from the 2010
National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Summary of National Findings. NSDUH
Series H-41, HHS Publication No. (SMA) 11-4658. Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and
Mental Health Services Administration. http://oas.samhsa.gov/NSDUH/2k10NSDUH/2k10Results.htm#7.3.
6Astley, S. J. (2010). Profile of the first 1,400 patients
receiving diagnostic evaluations for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder at the Washington
State Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Diagnostic and Prevention Network. Canadian Journal
of Clinical Pharmacology, 17(1), e132-64. Accessed July 1, 2012 at http://depts.washington.edu/fasdpn/htmls/literature.htm.
7Dinning, B. L., Podruski, A., Fox, D., & Wright,
A. 2004. We Cares: Practical Skills for Frontline Workers Working with Adults Affected
by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. Ottawa, CA: Anne Wright and Associates,
Inc.