Combining Physician Expertise and Women's Lived Experience to Educate Health Professionals about Preventing Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders.

INTRODUCTION: Physician Champions from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and trained women Speakers from FASD United, who have given birth to a child with a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), co-present to healthcare providers (HCPs) in medical residency programs as part of an educational intervention. They present FASDs as a biological and social problem surrounded by stigma that prevent pregnant women from talking openly to their HCPs about their alcohol use or alcohol use disorder (AUD) and getting the medical help they need. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 ACOG Champions and nine FASD United Speakers and a thematic analysis assessed how the co-presentations can enhance HCPs' understanding about FASDs and address stigma associated with alcohol use during pregnancy. RESULTS: Interview findings indicated that both Champions and Speakers emphasized the need for HCPs to be nonjudgmental and create a safe space for open dialogue. They reported that residents were moved by mothers' personal stories, wanted to understand AUD better, and asked about the type of help HCPs can offer women. DISCUSSION: Combining physicians' expertise with mothers' personal stories of lived experiences of FASDs directed at residents, who are more reflective and open at this phase of their careers, moved them from a fact-based to an empathy-based approach to learning that is critical to address the stigma surrounding women who may be using alcohol or struggling with an AUD during pregnancy. Collaboration between national organizations allowed this intervention to be widely implemented across the country.

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder prevention program: SBIRT's role in averting fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.

Empowering obstetricians to assess and improve their own practices of screening brief intervention and referral to treatment (SBIRT) in treating alcohol use disorders (AUDs) and preventing fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is the goal of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologist (ACOG) FASD Prevention Program. The FASD Prevention Program is a CDC funded initiative of the ACOG which is the largest specialty professional membership organization in the United States. Obstetrics and gynecology as a specialty is dedicated to the broad, integrated medical and surgical care of women's health throughout their lifespan. Understanding of reproductive physiology, including the physiologic, social, cultural, environmental, and genetic factors that influence disease in women, is a major priority for ACOG. Preventive counseling and health education are essential and integral parts of the practice of obstetricians and gynecologists as they advance the individual and community-based health of women of all ages. The FASD Prevention Program aims to provide obstetrician-gynecologists with the resources and tools needed to communicate with patients and the communities they serve about alcohol use during pregnancy. This review describes activities to empower and educate providers to address alcohol use disorder in pregnancy and the effect of FASD.