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Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders: Health Needs Assessment in Brazil
Author(s) -
Rocha Anastácia Guimarães,
Souza Paulo Ricardo Assis,
Wachholz Gabriela Elis,
Fraga Lucas Rosa,
Sanseverino Maria Teresa V.,
Terra Anna Pires,
Silva André Anjos,
Vianna Fernanda Sales Luiz,
Abeche Alberto Mantovani,
Larrandaburu Mariela,
Campo Miguel,
SchulerFaccini Lavínia
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
alcoholism: clinical and experimental research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.267
H-Index - 153
eISSN - 1530-0277
pISSN - 0145-6008
DOI - 10.1111/acer.14294
Subject(s) - fetal alcohol syndrome , fetal alcohol spectrum disorder , prenatal alcohol exposure , pregnancy , environmental health , medicine , population , fetal alcohol , fetus , alcohol , demography , biology , biochemistry , genetics , sociology
Background Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is a disorder caused by alterations in embryo‐fetal development due to prenatal alcohol exposure. It is estimated that between 0.5 and 2 per 1,000 individuals are born with FAS every year. In Brazil, there are few studies addressing the extent of the problem of FAS/fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD); these studies are confined to limited geographic areas. Therefore, we decided to perform a health needs assessment for FAS/FASD in Brazil. Methods To estimate the prevalence of FAS and FASD in Brazil, we used information from the literature, which estimates between 0.5 and 2/1,000 births per year for FAS and 10 to 50/1,000 for FASD. Results We estimated that approximately 1,500 to 6,000 children are born with FAS every year. Considering the whole population, the prevalence would be 95,377 to 380,000 affected people. However, when we consider FASD as a whole, we estimate that between 1,900,000 and 9,500,000 Brazilians might suffer the more severe consequences of alcohol exposure during pregnancy and be living with FASD. Conclusion The results of the current study indicate that FAS and FASD are prevalent disorders in Brazil, and more policies targeting alcohol intake during pregnancy must be developed.