Press Release

The Child Evaluation Center at UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School is one of six sites designated as a regional center of excellence by the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services.

The mission of the regional centers of excellence is to educate citizens about the consequences of alcohol use during pregnancy, screen children through age six, and evaluate children who are diagnosed with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Alcohol Related Neurological Developmental Disorders (ARND).

The Child Evaluation Center at UMDNJ and the Children's Hospital of New Jersey at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, another designated center, are leading the North Jersey portion of a $450,000 statewide effort to address prevention, education, diagnosis and services related to FAS and ARND, the leading preventable causes of mental retardation.

Dr. Susan Adubato, assistant professor of psychiatry and pediatrics of the UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School, said, "Statistics show that many women of child-bearing age either use drugs or alcohol during their pregnancy. Appropriate facilities to evaluate the children of these women are nonexistent. It is critical that we educate families about this FAS/ARND which affects all socio-economic backgrounds.

"The Governor's Council on the Prevention of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities and the New Jersey Task Force on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome have taken the lead in the state to address these concerns. By documenting the statewide need for early identification and diagnosis of children with FAS/ARND, funding for the development of regional centers was secured through the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services," Dr. Adubato said.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is a non-curable birth defect caused by the maternal consumption of alcohol during pregnancy and can result in mental retardation. Similarly, the Alcohol Related Neurological Disorder is characterized by brain damage and physical malformations, but mental retardation may not be present. FAS and ARND often result in behavioral disorders.

The following symptoms and characteristics are common in infants born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: low birth weight, specific facial characteristics, small head circumference, growth retardation, central nervous disorders and brain damage. Developmental disorders which are also common include: attention deficit disorder, hyperactivity, processing, judgmental and perception disorders.

According to Dr. Denise Aloisio, developmental pediatrician for the Child Evaluation Center at the Meridian Health System in Neptune, another designated center, "Medical literature indicate that one in 1,000 babies are born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Fortunately, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Alcohol Related Neurological Developmental Disorders are 100 percent preventable."

The three other regional centers of excellence are: South Jersey Hospital System in Vineland, Children's Seashore House of Philadelphia in Atlantic City, and the Laurie Neurodevelopmental Institute at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick. Services will be provided in each of New Jersey's 21 counties.

Each regional center of excellence has a multi-disciplinary health team to provide the child and his or her family with comprehensive support services regarding behavioral health, substance abuse referrals and support groups. The health team at each site is composed of pediatricians, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, disabilities specialists, geneticists, speech therapists and family counselors.

Maternal Child Health Consortium throughout New Jersey provides services to improve access to quality health care for pregnant women, infants, children and adolescents by coordinating community and hospital-based services.

New Jersey's Maternal Child Health Consortia will coordinate services with the newly established regional FAS centers to provide continuity of care which includes efforts in prevention, identification, diagnosis and treatment. The Gateway Maternal and Child Health Consortium in Newark will conduct outreach efforts at daycare centers, pediatric offices and health clinics.

According to a report from the Governor's Council on Prevention of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities and the New Jersey Task Force on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, the state's annual birth rate of approximately "110,000 translates to at least 11 children being born with FAS and about 30 to 40 children being born with ARND." In addition, each year between 6,438 and 12,210 babies may be exposed to harmful substances while in the womb.

The UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School is one of three medical schools of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. UMDNJ comprises New Jersey's only medical schools, the state's only dental school, a nursing school, a graduate school of biomedical sciences, a school of health related professions and a school of public health on campuses in Newark, Piscataway/New Brunswick, Scotch Plains, Camden and Stratford. UMDNJ also operates University Behavioral HealthCare in Newark and Piscataway. It is affiliated with more than 200 health care and educational institutions throughout the state.

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