Research

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Prevalence

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FASD Prevalence
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In the United States, the exact number of people with a Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder is unknown.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention studies have shown that 0.2 to 1.5 cases of fetal alcohol syndrome occur for every 1,000 live births in certain areas of the United States.

Scientists believe that about 2 to 5 percent of the U.S. population may have an FASD.

The lifetime cost for one individual with FAS in 2002 was estimated to be $2 million. This is an average for people with FAS and does not include data on people with other FASDs. People with severe problems, such as profound intellectual disability, have much higher costs. It is estimated that the cost to the United States for FAS alone is over $4 billion annually.

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CDC
Weighted Prevalence Estimates of Any Alcohol Use Among Women Aged 18 - 44
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Approximately 10 percent of pregnant women (about 1 in 10) reported any alcohol use in the past 30 days.

Approximately 3 percent of pregnant women (about 1 in 33) engaged in binge drinking or frequent use of alcohol in the past 30 days.

Approximately 50 percent of nonpregnant women reported alcohol use in the past 30 days, and about one in five reported binge drinking in the past 30 days.

In the United States, almost 50 percent of pregnancies are unplanned, stressing the importance of educating all women of childbearing age about the risks of alcohol use during pregnancy.

For more information visit the CDC's webpage Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders.

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