North Dakota Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Center

Fetal alcohol syndrome (or FAS) is a condition that results when a fetus is exposed to alcohol during pregnancy.

Problems caused by FASD vary from child to child, but include birth defects, poor or slow intellectual development, and various sensorimotor challenges.

North Dakota FASD Statistics

Depending on birth and death rates, the child and adult populations of people with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disease (FASD) in North Dakota could be as high as 1,124 (children: 180-324, adults: 360-800).
The annual cost of medical care services is $5,279 per case of FASD. The annual excess cost for medical care due to FASD is $4,403 per case. In North Dakota, the cost of inpatient medical care for each case of FASD to age 18 is $95,034.
It will cost parents (biological or adaptive) $17,400 per year to care for a child with FASD. Expenses include travel, meals and lodging, insurance deductibles, vacation and sick leave, child care, phone, work-related costs, deferred promotions, and others.
Identified costs for each person with FASD in North Dakota are at least $2 million per year. The minimum cost estimate for the state of North Dakota to age 18 for each case of FASD is $118,876.
If women who have a child with FASD continue to drink, they have more than a 75 percent chance of having another child with FASD.

Our Mission

The North Dakota Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Center was established in 1993 with the passage HB 1313 by the North Dakota Legislature. The Center provides diagnostic and management services for people with fetal alcohol syndrome; education/prevention services to the region; and collection of data related to fetal alcohol syndrome in North Dakota.

Our mission is to improve care for people with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and to prevent prenatal alcohol exposure.

Appointments for patients can be made by calling 701.780.2477.

FASC Director

Dr. Larry Burd is the director of the North Dakota Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Center. Dr. Burd's research encompasses areas such as Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Autism, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and Smoking Prevention in Schools.

Curriculum Vitae

External Resources

National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention