The FAS Screen: a rapid screening tool for fetal alcohol syndrome

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Public Health
• Medical Genetics

Background:

• Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is a leading cause of preventable mental retardation and developmental disabilities.
• Early diagnosis of FAS is crucial for timely intervention and improved outcomes for affected children.
• Population-based screening tools are needed to enhance the identification of children with FAS.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a brief, population-based screening tool for Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS).
• To improve the early identification of children affected by FAS.
• To assess the performance characteristics and cost-effectiveness of the developed screening tool.

Main Methods:

• The FAS Screen was developed and tested across six child-serving sites in North Dakota.
• A total of 1013 children were screened.
• Children with positive screening scores were referred for medical geneticist evaluation.

Main Results:

• The FAS Screen demonstrated high performance: 100% sensitivity, 94.1% specificity, 100% negative predictive value, and 9.1% positive predictive value.
• Out of 1013 children screened, 65 had positive scores and were referred; 40 were evaluated, leading to six FAS diagnoses.
• The screening cost was $13.00 per child, with an identified case cost of $4,100.

Conclusions:

• The FAS Screen is a brief and effective tool for identifying children with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome in population-based settings.
• The screening tool exhibits acceptable performance characteristics and is a cost-effective method for early FAS detection.
• Implementation of the FAS Screen can facilitate earlier diagnosis and access to essential intervention programs for children with FAS.