Fetal alcohol exposure affects approximately 1% to 3% of live births in the United States. Family physicians are in a unique position to reduce the incidence of alcohol-exposed pregnancy. Fetal alcohol exposure can be minimized through 2 general approaches: reducing alcohol consumption or increasing effective contraception among childbearing-aged women who engage in "at-risk" drinking and encouraging pregnant women to abstain from alcohol. Although no safe level of alcohol consumption during pregnancy is established, women who binge drink are more likely to deliver infants with physical and cognitive-developmental anomalies. Screening tools, such as quantity/frequency questions, the TWEAK and the T-ACE, developed specifically for prenatal care, are more useful with women than the CAGE and Michigan Alcohol Screening Test (MAST). Screening alone seems to reduce alcohol use among pregnant women. Brief interventions, including education about alcohol's effects on the developing fetus, are effective among women not responding to screening. Unfortunately, many barriers exist to effective implementation of alcohol-exposed pregnancy (

Do you have adequate knowledge of the hallmarks of fetal alcohol syndrome and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders? Can you identify pregnant women who are at risk for having a child with the disorder? A large random sample survey of American Psychological Association members uncovered large deficits in psychologists' knowledge about the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of these problems. The authors report accurate information about these damaging disorders and identify the errors most commonly demonstrated by those surveyed.

Abstract –This paper explores the impact of incorporating discipline-specific content into a university pathways program designed for first-year engineering English language learners.  In an effort to increase feelings of connectedness and encourage the development of student identity for students who must complete the bridging program before beginning full-degree studies, a collaboration with First-Year Engineering, FIRST Lego League and the Engineering IDEAS Clinics began whereby students worked with instructors, professors, and students from the Engineering Faculty as part of their language courses.  Student motivation and sense of faculty connection increased through the integration of these discipline-specific assessments and activities, and, overall the students reflected positively on these experiences.

No abstract