Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder group meeting

Families impacted by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders are starting a "networking opportunity" called Lifetime Connections. The first meeting is Tuesday night.

Lifetime Connections is designed for parents of children with FASD, to interact and learn together.

Future workshops will be designed by the members, organizers said.

The Mat-Su Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Resource Project was formed in the last two years through work by several individuals. Receiving state funding, as well as training by the University of Washington, are all part of having a working FASD team in the community.

FASD is a permanent birth defect caused by a mother drinking during pregnancy. It is the only mental retardation that is 100-percent preventable. Neurological abnormalities, delays in development and impairments in a child's thinking and behavioral patters are the leading symptoms.

Alaska is one of five states that comprise the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Surveillance Network (FASSNet), along with Arizona, Colorado, New York and Wisconsin. Through funding from the Disease for Control and Prevention, the states have developed a standardized surveillance method that can provide consistent and comparable FAS rates across the country.

Among the five state, Alaska has the highest rate of FAS, at 1.4 per ever 1,000 live births.

Each year, approximately 140 infants are born in Alaska who are affected by maternal alcohol use during pregnancy.

The statistics are even more staggering for Alaska Natives. They have a FAS prevalence rate of 4.8 per 1,000 live births.

There are community groups similar to the Mat-Su Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Resource Project located in towns and villages across Alaska.