In the United States

• We do not know exactly how many people have an FASD. CDC studies have shown that 0.2 to 1.5 cases of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) occur for every 1,000 live births in certain areas of the United States. Other studies using different methods have estimated the rate of FAS at 0.5 to 2.0 cases per 1,000 live births.
• Scientists believe that there are at least three times as many cases of FASDs as FAS.
• Prevalence estimates of alcohol use among women of childbearing age vary from state to state.
• The lifetime cost for one individual with FAS in 2002 was estimated to be $2 million. This is an average for people with FAS and does not include data on people with other FASDs. People with severe problems, such as profound intellectual disability, have much higher costs. It is estimated that the cost to the United States for FAS alone is over $4 billion annually.

Alcohol Consumption among Women Who Are Pregnant or Who Might Become Pregnant-United States, 2002

• Approximately 10% of pregnant women (about 1 in 10) reported any alcohol use in the past 30 days.
• Approximately 2% of pregnant women (about 1 in 50) engaged in binge drinking or frequent use of alcohol in the past 30 days.*
• Among women who might become pregnant (they reported not using any type of birth control):
  • 52.4% said that they wanted to become pregnant
  • 54.9% reported alcohol use
  • 12.4% reported binge drinking
• In the United States, almost 50% of pregnancies are unplanned, stressing the importance of educating all women of childbearing age about the risks of alcohol use during pregnancy.

For more information visit www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/fasd/index.html