Read About the New CATCH Grant to Boost FASD Awareness and Support in Maine

Posted on June 30, 2025

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) affects 1 in 20 children but is often missed due to stigma and gaps in prenatal alcohol screening. Dr. Andrea Tracy and Dr. Lauren Jamele-Townley have received a 2025 AAP CATCH grant to partner with WIC on improving prenatal alcohol exposure screening, promoting choline intake, and supporting earlier identification of FASD.

Dr. Andrea Tracy and Dr. Lauren Jamele-Townley awarded CATCH grant for Building FASD Awareness, Improving Outcomes Together

Drs. Tracy and Jamele-Townley are recipients of a 2025 AAP Community Access to Child Health (CATCH) grant for the project Building FASD Awareness, Improving Outcomes Together. Partnering with the local WIC offices, they aim to optimize prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) screening with stigma reducing language and promote prenatal choline intake to support fetal brain development.

Drs. Tracy and Jamele-Townley identified an urgent need to address the lack of FASD awareness and significant gaps in prenatal alcohol exposure screening and documentation. The CATCH grant award, in the amount of $10,000, supports collaborative efforts with WIC to identify gaps in knowledge through surveys and focus groups, promote stigma-reducing language in PAE screening, improve prenatal nutrition education around choline, and enhance developmental referral processes to include PAE status when known. Too many children affected by FASD are being misdiagnosed or overlooked entirely. With early identification, understanding, and support, these children can thrive.

Drs. Tracy and Jamele-Townley were approved for one of 41 CATCH grants awarded this cycle to Fellows and Pediatric Trainees/Residents in 26 AAP chapters, across 24 states and the District of Columbia, to implement innovative community-based child health projects. Announced in mid-April, grantees include 10 Planning grants and 8 Implementation grants, as well as 23 CATCH Resident grants. Fourteen of the CATCH Resident grants were supported through designated funding from 11 AAP Sections and Councils to focus on aligned priority issues. Summaries for these new community-based projects can be found by searching on the Community Pediatrics Funded Grants Webpage.

What Can You Do?

Pediatricians have a critical role in identifying children affected by FASD through careful screening. Using open-ended, nonjudgmental questions about prenatal alcohol exposure during patient visits can help uncover important information that may otherwise be missed. By fostering a supportive environment and reducing stigma around discussing prenatal alcohol use, providers can improve early detection, connect families with needed resources, and ultimately improve outcomes for children with FASD.

Test your knowledge of FASD and PAE with this AAP Quiz: https://www.aap.org/en/patient-care/fetal-alcohol-spectrum-disorders/fasds-quiz/

Interested in Learning more about FASD/PAE? Check out these resources:

AAP FASD Toolkit: https://www.aap.org/en/patient-care/fetal-alcohol-spectrum-disorders/

FASD United: https://fasdunited.org

FASD Maine: https://www.fasdmaine.org/fasd-maine