Factors predisposing, enabling and reinforcing routine screening of patients for preventing fetal alcohol syndrome: a survey of New Jersey physicians.

A survey of New Jersey physicians showed that they do not routinely ask their pregnant patients about alcohol consumption for a wide variety of reasons including physician bias due to their own abuse, lack of training for the task, poor awareness of the problem and its effects, denial that FAS occurs in private practice, time limitations, disinterest, fear of offending the patient and belief that patients will not tell the truth about their alcohol use. Findings suggest that physicians need to deal with conflicting attitudes about their own drinking behavior as well as that of their patients. Organized physician support is needed to develop skills for detection and referral of alcohol abusing patients at risk of negative fetal outcomes.