Position: The Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) recommends that all patients be screened routinely for alcohol use during the preconception, antepartum, intrapartum, and postpartum periods using a validated tool. Screening should be ongoing during these periods, and when clinically indicated, early referral to intervention and treatment to prevent fetal alcohol spectrum disorder is recommended. Furthermore, treatment for alcohol use should be nonstigmatizing and should focus on the patient and family. Therefore, AWHONN recommends that nurses provide education on the risk of alcohol use during pregnancy. Nurses and other health care professionals should know and comply with state laws on mandatory reporting and referral processes.

Source: AWHONN. Prevention of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, Nursing for Women’s Health, VOLUME 27, ISSUE 5, E1-E3, OCTOBER 2023. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nwh.2023.06.001