September is Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Awareness Month. As providers of mental and behavioral health services, social workers play a critical role in preventing FASDs by sharing key messages with clients who are pregnant or may become pregnant.

Alcohol-exposed pregnancies (AEPs) are more common than you might think: according to a new study, an estimated 54 percent of children in the United States are exposed to alcohol before they’re born. The high prevalence of AEPs surprised even the study’s authors, who looked for what might be driving the trend.