FASD United is excited to spotlight each of the organizations that are part of CDC’s National Partner Network (NPN), a collaborative coalition of organizations dedicated to advancing key goals, including reducing prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) and substance use, enhancing support services and access to care, and improving the identification and health of children and families affected by FASDs. As a proud participant in this collaborative effort, we are excited to contribute to public education on FASD and prenatal substance exposure alongside these exceptional partners.
This April, Alcohol Awareness Month, we are proud to feature the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), a key member of the NPN. I spoke with two members of the AAP team: Rosa Arvizu, Program Manager of AAP’s FASD Program and Hope Barrett, Director of AAP’s Adolescent Health & Substance Use Initiatives.
AAP has a long track record of dedication to advancing the FASD field. Among its many programs and initiatives, AAP has an incredible FASD Toolkit, which is available online at aap.org/fasd and is filled with many valuable resources, including resources for families, FAQs, printable factsheets, podcasts, and blog posts.
In 2016, AAP established its FASD Champion Network, with the primary goal of enhancing pediatricians’ ability to identify individuals at risk of an alcohol-exposed pregnancy early and to address related stigma and bias. The network supports pediatricians through educational outreach and practice change activities. Rosa describes the network as being “dedicated to meeting the diverse needs of children across the United States.”
Rosa told me, “I am proud to work with compassionate pediatricians who bring a wealth of expertise to the table. Their dedication not only enhances our ability to identify and support at-risk individuals but also plays a crucial role in developing and managing educational programs on FASDs for other pediatricians.”
AAP has established educational programs on FASDs for pediatricians across the country. Rosa stated, “These programs ensure that pediatricians are well equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to provide the best possible care for children affected by prenatal alcohol exposure.”
Rosa spoke about her deep passion for the FASD field and described how she first got involved in FASD through her background in substance use prevention, working with schools on alcohol use prevention, giving presentations, and collaborating with teachers and community partners.
We also had a lovely conversation with Hope Barrett, who enthusiastically expressed how much she loves working with AAP, as evidenced by her 10 years at the Academy. Hope has been in public health for decades and has had her hand in many areas, including smoking cessation, epilepsy, and LGBT health issues. Hope says, “I came into this FASD work not really knowing about FASD and I quickly got up to speed, with the support of Rosa and the AAP team.”
Hope stated, “I’m proud of the AAP’s strong and ongoing commitment to ensuring that our members have the knowledge, tools and resources to affect change for children impacted by FASD.” Rosa adds, “Pediatricians play an essential role in prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) screening, early identification of FASD and caring for children diagnosed (or with possible) FASDs and their families.”
Hope spoke with excitement about AAP’s role: “I’m thrilled that we still get to have a voice and a leadership role when it comes to the pediatric side of FASD work. I’m so happy to support AAP’s work and look for new ways to expand on our projects.”
Hope points out that 5% of children in the U.S. are affected by FASD. “Pediatricians are very busy and patient visit times are often limited. It’s critical that we at AAP provide them with the resources they need so they can do their jobs of helping these children who are often being missed and misdiagnosed.”
One of the roles of AAP is to develop tools for pediatricians to ask about alcohol use in a non-stigmatizing and non-judgmental way, so that people can be open and honest. Rosa says, “We rely on our subject matter experts to support the development of resources, like conversation starters and flow charts so pediatricians can incorporate alcohol screening into their busy days.” Hope adds, “I am proud of AAP’s commitment to ensuring that pediatricians have the knowledge, tools, and resources, to affect change for children impacted by FASD.”
AAP’s FASD Toolkit includes information on practice management and a job aid for pediatricians which provides guidance on discharge planning for families affected by prenatal alcohol and other substance use exposures. “The colorful guide offers practical steps and considerations to ensure that families receive the support they need as they transition from hospital to home, with a final emphasis on transferring care to the pediatrician,” Rosa explains.
Currently, the AAP Champions are building upon this job aid and will add a focus on navigating FASDs in the medical home. This new job aid will answer the question “what happens next” by addressing caring for families and highlighting the importance of continuing care.
Rosa and Hope were both excited to share information about AAP’s ongoing virtual learning collaborative. This initiative involves six states (California, Indiana, Maryland, Texas, South Carolina, and Florida) where AAP chapters are building the capacity of their pediatrician members’ ability to screen, treat, and refer children with FASDs and support their families. “Each chapter team has a pediatric FASD ambassador who is deepening their knowledge about FASDs while gaining a better understanding of their state support systems,” explains Rosa.
Being part of the NPN adds such a meaningful and valuable impact to AAP’s FASD program. Rosa told me that, “This interdisciplinary approach really helps us stay informed about emerging issues and best practices. It helps ensure that our strategies and resources are relevant and effective and that we understand each other’s roles when it comes to caring for families impacted by prenatal alcohol exposure.”
Hope and Rosa highlighted the “Walk and Talk Cards” as an example of this approach. Developed by the University of Nevada, Reno with the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA), these “conversation starter” cards support pediatricians by facilitating open and honest conversations with families.
Rosa says, “Being part of the NPN has allowed us at AAP to coordinate messages within broader substance use conversations, and it has helped us reach a wider audience. Fostering a collaborative environment where NPN organizations can share knowledge, resources, and experiences has also been a great benefit.”
Hope spoke with great warmth and affection for the most recent NPN grantee meeting at CDC in Atlanta, Georgia, saying, “The meeting helped me learn more about FASD and meet some of the giants who have been in the field for a long time, including our CDC partners. There’s a real added benefit to meeting our partners in person.” Hope added, “Virtual meetings have their benefits, but the in-person conversations you have, where you can talk to a colleague about a project you’re working on and then get the opportunity to hear from them how they can connect you to another colleague working in a similar area, it’s so valuable.”
Rosa described a particular fruit of this meeting, remarking that, “As a result of the meeting in Atlanta, we came back and reinforced the existing relationship between AAP and ACOG champions in FASD. We nominated Dr. Maribel Campos, an AAP FASD Champion for Florida/Puerto Rico to serve as a liaison to ACOG. She brings experience as a pediatrician, neonatologist, and parent with living experience to the role.”
Going back to AAP’s wealth of resources, the FASD Toolkit houses over 40 tools for pediatricians. Recent addition to the Toolkit include:
A flow diagram for evaluating FASD is currently being redesigned and as Hope noted, it will be transformed into an interactive tool. This new resource will enable pediatricians to navigate the process of managing FASD in the medical home setting using a step-by-step guide. The project is expected to launch in mid-June 2025.
Rosa sums up AAP’s unique role by telling me, “As AAP staff, we want to continue to educate pediatricians around alcohol exposure and FASD. We continue to look at ways to bring different tools in our toolkit to ensure that this information gets out there to every single pediatrician. I take this responsibility very seriously. We have a lot of great information, and we need to continue to reach out to share this information far and wide.”
As April is Alcohol Awareness Month, Hope made sure to not end the conversation before reminding everyone that, “It is important to be clear that no amount or type of alcohol is safe during pregnancy. We need to continue to support the message that zero alcohol is safe and reinforce that important message. We need to also recognize that people may not be aware that they are pregnant, so we have to be sensitive and be compassionate and have a safe space where people can talk about their alcohol use and be free of harmful stigma.”
Rosa wrapped up our conversation by giving a special shout out to FASD United, remarking that, “Having FASD United at every table and hearing their voices has been so important and is a key part of our network and our work.”
It was such a joy to talk to Rosa and Hope, two dedicated and passionate leaders in the FASD field. They both summed up their feelings this way: “We’re just so happy to be part of the NPN and work with all of our amazing partners, and Happy Alcohol Awareness Month!”
*This project is supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award funded by CDC/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CDC/HHS, or the U.S. Government.