Fetal Alcohol Syndrome A literature review - Department of Health ...

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The issue of FAS has not been the subject of extensive research or policy development in
Australia to date. Initial Australian case-series reports of children diagnosed with FAS found a
maternal history of heavy/binge drinking or chronic alcoholism to be present.
The Western Australian Birth Registry data identify indigenous Australians as a high-risk group
for FAS within that State, although under-ascertainment of cases may have clouded the true
level of FAS in both the high-risk groups and the general community.
Research has shown that knowledge is a necessary, although not sufficient, factor for eliciting
behaviour change. The knowledge of women, both in the general community and within highrisk
groups, of the risks associated with alcohol consumption during pregnancy and of FAS in
particular is limited. This lack of awareness is compounded by a lack of counseling by physicians
on the risks associated with maternal alcohol consumption. Studies indicate that many physicians
do not feel confident making a diagnosis of FAS and have identified a need for the issue of
FAS to be more fully covered in medical schools and through continuing medical education
programs.