Hello

I am posting this response to Shannen's request from Dawn Ridd at
Manitoba Health.

Lissa Donner

****

        Hi Shannon,
        Your email was passed on to me by a colleague in Manitoba.  I am the
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Consultant for Manitoba Health, and have been working
on the issue for over 15 years.  In regards to the item you are interested
in producing I have a couple of suggestions:
*       Consider making the item more of a "supportive tool" and not a
"reminder" not to drink.  In our experience here in Manitoba pregnant women
who drink have many issues that they need support with (possible abuse,
poverty, poly drug addiction, unstable housing, legal issues, to name a
few).  They require supportive help to stay sober. They are not drinking
because they forgot not to.  Surveys have also shown that most women are
aware that drinking is potentially harmful to the baby.  Therefore, if we
assume (and we do) that women care about their babies, we need to assist
them in addressing the underlying issues that cause them to choose to use
substances during pregnancy.
*       Literature indicates that posters, magnets, pamphlets are somewhat
effective in raising awareness in low risk populations.  If you are
targetting higher risk populations, i.e. those already using substances, you
need to use more of a program approach.  So, I would suggest that you
consider adding a training component to any product that you produce.  It
should be targetted to those health care providers that will be handing the
product out to women.  For example, it may mean giving public health nurses
and physicians training in how to talk to women about their alcohol use, and
provide them with information about services that women may need referral to
(addiciton, housing, daycare etc....).
*       Health Canada/Canada's Drug Strategy has reviewed best practice
appoaches in this area.  The report is posted on their website.
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hppb/childhood-youth/cyfh/fas/resources.html

        Best Regards,
Dawn Ridd
Child Health and FAS Consultant
Manitoba Health

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