Rotary International Steps Up

I'm a member of Riverside-Arlington Kiwanis in the CalNevHa District.  I am reading with interest about the Gates Foundation/Rotary partnership.  It is great that they have taken on the cause of eradicating polio and that KI took on IDD a few years ago.  These are very worthwhile projects and our club has a patch that acknowledges our high level of commitment to IDD eradication.  

But what about prevention of children's health issues that are real for those of us who live in the United States as well as most of the rest of the world?  The one that I am very familiar with is Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (the tip of the iceberg that is above the water and therefore easily recognizable) and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) (this is the entire iceberg, including the portion above the surface).  Many believe Autism to be an epidemic in this country.  It is said to affect newborns at the rate of 1 in 150 births.  The sad part is no one knows why and until we do, it is difficult to know how  to prevent it.  

The birth rate for FASD, according to the latest research, is 1 in 100.  That is one baby in 100 born in the United States (rates vary from country to country but every country in the world that does not prohibit alcohol drinking is affected) is significantly affected by this disorder.  Unlike Autism, we know what causes FASD.  It is maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy.  The research is fairly new in that the first scientific paper was published in 1973 and only in the 1990s did we discover how little prenatal exposure it takes to cause significant, permanent brain damage. Each year, results are published that demonstate that mostly bad things happen when women drink during this time of their life.

If Kiwanis International really wants to make an impact here at home as well as in the rest of the alcohol consuming world they would be wise to investigate this subject and begin an national and international prevention campaign of significance.  

We can't eradicate FASD here or anywhere else, but we can greatly ameliorate it.

Besides the devastation it causes on an individual basis, the Center for Disease Control tells us that it costs almost $1 million to provide services and supports to one person with FAS over a lifetime.  Billions are spent to treat and manage people with FASD each year, just in the US.  Prevention makes senses on many levels.

As a Kiwanian, I would like to bring a team of world-renown experts on FAS and FASD to your headquarters and make a presentation on this topic.  Short of that, I would entertain any suggestions you have on how we can get Kiwanis International involved.  

I am convinced based on our Club's limited involvement with this issue that it has domestic Public Relations potential for KI that has never been seen before.

In this latest cycle, Riverside-Arlington Kiwanis has applied for a KIF grant but even if we were to have the good fortune of winning that grant, it won't begin to scratch the surface of the problem.

Thanks for reading this.

Jim Stream, Riverside Arlington Kiwanis

Our club has helped sponsor the Web site:  www.NineZero.org

NineZero stands for:  Nine Months. Zero Alcohol.

P.S.  One thing I remember from the IDD campaign was that IDD was responsible for more cognitive disabilities in the world than anything else.  But, the number one cause of mental retardation in the United States is FASD!