Preventing FAS/ARND in Russian Children

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), Fogarty International Center of the National Institute of Health, St. Petersburg State Pavlov Medical University, Nizhny Novgorod State Pedagogical University

The purpose of this study is to evaluate an intervention aimed at reducing risk for alcohol-exposed pregnancies and preventing Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders in Russian children. The study will determine whether physicians, trained in a dual-focused brief motivational intervention and monitored for performance, can foster greater change in knowledge, health beliefs, alcohol use, and alcohol-exposed pregnancy risk in Russian women who are at risk than standard care.

The study is a two-arm, 20-site, site-randomized, controlled trial testing an intervention to reduce risk for alcohol-exposed pregnancies in at-risk women (at-risk drinking childbearing age women who are heterosexually active, and not consistently using contraception). The trial will assess feasibility of a dual-focused (i.e. contraception use-drinking reduction) brief physician intervention (DFBPI) and determine whether physicians, trained in DFBPI and monitored for compliance, can foster greater reduction of women's risk behaviors compared to standard care. The intervention is specifically designed to be deliverable routinely by Obstetrics and Gynecology physicians(OB/GYN) to large numbers of women at women's clinics.

alcohol, pregnancy, fetal exposure, prevention, FAS, Alcohol-Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder (ARND)

The DFBPI is incorporated in OB/GYN clinic visit. The intervention consists of two brief (5 to 10 minutes) manualized counseling segments delivered face-to-face by an OB/GYN in the context of two clinic visits.

Interviews are conducted at the baseline and follow-up assessments at 3, 6, and 12 months after the baseline to assess self-reported alcohol consumption, sexual activity, and contraception use to identify AEP risk.

Interviews are conducted at the baseline and follow-up assessments at 3, 6, and 12 months after the baseline to assess self-reported alcohol consumption, sexual activity, and contraception use to identify AEP risk.

Interviews are conducted at the baseline and follow-up assessments at 3, 6, and 12 months after the baseline to assess self-reported alcohol consumption, sexual activity, and contraception use to identify AEP risk.

Interviews assessed self-reported quantity/frequency of alcohol consumption and frequency of binge drinking and a detailed alcohol consumption report was received utilizing the Time Line Follow Back (TLFB) measure.

Inclusion Criteria: nonpregnant women childbearing age (between 18 and 44 years of age) fertile at risk for an alcohol-exposed pregnancy: drinking at-risk (4 or more drinks on one occasion or more than 7 drinks per week)in the last 3 months and report having unprotected intercourse at least once in the last 6 months Exclusion Criteria: unable comprehend interview questions

Balachova T, Bonner BL, Chaffin M, Isurina G, Shapkaitz V, Tsvetkova L, Volkova E, Grandilevskaya I, Skitnevskaya L, Knowlton N. Brief FASD prevention intervention: physicians' skills demonstrated in a clinical trial in Russia. Addict Sci Clin Pract. 2013 Jan 8;8(1):1. doi: 10.1186/1940-0640-8-1.