Alcohol use during pregnancy: Prevention, treatment, reporting

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is the most common substance use disorder for pregnant and parenting women in the U.S., and it has one of the lowest rates of treatment uptake. In a 2018-2020 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), almost 14% of pregnant women ages 18-49 reported current alcohol use during pregnancy, and 5% reported binge drinking in the past month.

A potential complication of alcohol use during pregnancy is fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), an umbrella term for all health effects on children due to alcohol use during pregnancy. FASD is the primary cause of preventable developmental disability around the world.

The prenatal period brings increased interactions with health care, a prime opportunity for early intervention to prevent, diagnose and treat alcohol use during pregnancy. It is vital that providers clearly understand alcohol policies and mandatory reporting requirements, especially because reporting has been shown to be ineffective in reducing alcohol use.

Join the Providers Clinical Support System (PCSS)-MAUD and the National Council for Mental Wellbeing on Tuesday, April 29, 3-4:30 p.m. ET, to explore the legal requirements for reporting alcohol use during pregnancy and situationally appropriate alternatives to reporting, including early intervention, prevention, treatment and medications for AUD (MAUD). Attendees will hear from an internationally recognized expert in obstetrics, gynecology and addiction medicine.Seats are limited, so register early to reserve yours!

Educational objectives:

• Review best practices for early intervention, prevention, assessment and treatment of AUD during pregnancy, including using MAUD.
• Provide clarity on requirements for reporting alcohol use during pregnancy and explore using legally appropriate alternatives to reporting when possible.
• Discuss how clinicians can provide solutions-focused care and build trust with pregnant patients.

Featured speaker:

• Mishka Terplan, MD, Medical Director and Senior Research Scientist, Friends Research Institute

Funding for this initiative was made possible by cooperative agreement No. 1H79TI086771-01 from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The views expressed in written conference materials or publications and by speakers and moderators do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the Department of Health and Human Services, nor does mention of trade names, commercial practices or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. government.