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Greetings from Denmark
Janni Niclasen, psychologist PhD
Assistant professor
Institute of Psychology
University of Copenhagen
Denmark
FASD 2015, Vancouver, Canada
FASD 2015, Vancouver, Canada
Greetings from Denmark
Who drinks and how much:
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5.5 million people in Denmark
Well-fare state
World happiness report
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Most people drink alcohol on a regular basis
7% of women and 3% of men are abstainers
Average yearly intake: 12 litres of pure alcohol (age 16 and over)
People with tertiary education drink more than those less educated
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App. 65.000 births per year
Official guidelines: Are you pregnant – avoid alcohol. Are you trying to become
pregnant – avoid alcohol just in case….
FASD 2015, Vancouver, Canada
Greetings from Denmark
The Family centre of Denmark: an offer to those abusing alcohol/ drugs
FASD 2015, Vancouver, Canada
Greetings from Denmark
FAS in Denmark:
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In Denmark the problem of FAS is not as big as it is in Canada
Danes drink a lot but in the low-moderate range and many children exposed to
low level drinking
Many children probably born with FASD (no official prevalence rate)
App. 75 children born with FAS (a total of 65.000 births per year)
FASD 2015, Vancouver, Canada
Greetings from Denmark
The Family centre of Denmark (“Familieambulatoriet”):
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The Family Centre was established in 1989
Based on Loretta Finnegan’s work from the Thomas Jefferson University
Hospital, Philadelphia
Focus on obstetric care for vulnerable, pregnant women (dependent on
prescribed/ illegal drugs, alcohol)
Five centres – one in each of the five regions in Denmark
FASD 2015, Vancouver, Canada
Greetings from Denmark
The Family centre of Denmark (“Familieambulatoriet”):
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Target groups:
• Pregnant women with a high-risk use of alcohol and/ or legal/ illegal drugs
• Children aged 0-7 years exposed to alcohol and/ or drugs in pregnancy
Long-term interventions: from pregnancy until the child starts school
The same team follows the mother/ child throughout the intervention: 1 MD, 1
psychologist, 1 midwife and 1 social worker)
FASD 2015, Vancouver, Canada
Greetings from Denmark
The Family centre of Denmark (“Familieambulatoriet”):
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Who can make use of the Family Clinic?
• Open visitation – anyone can show up (early contact important)
• Most referred on the basis of questionnaire filled in at the midwife centre
• All pregnant women with present or previous (last two years) use of
illegal substances
• Two or more binge episodes in pregnancy
• Three or more drinks/ week in pregnancy
• GP in early pregnancy
• Psychiatric wards
• Other centres (social centres, alcohol outpatient clinics etc.)
FASD 2015, Vancouver, Canada
Greetings from Denmark
The Family centre of Denmark (“Familieambulatoriet”):
A bit of statistics in relation to the work at the Family Centre:
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Preterm births (from 20% to 7%)
Low birth weight (from 31% to 7%)
Lack of oxygen during birth (from 20% to 5%)
Treatment required withdrawal symptoms (from 85% to 60%)
Almost all children born to alcohol/ drug-free homes
Some children directly to foster care family from birth
92% of children followed by the Family Centre until school age
89% of the children develop normally – remaining 11% mostly born with
FAS or FASD and to unstable families
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Database at the Family Centre
FASD 2015, Vancouver, Canada
Greetings from Denmark
Studies looking at prenatal exposure to low doses of alcohol
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1. Excellent data in Denmark
Several large-scale birth cohorts have been established
Personal identification numbers
Nationwide demographic and healthcare registries:
Psychiatric Central Register (psychiatric diagnoses)
Medical Birth Register (Health of newborns, antenatal care and delivery)
Civil registration system (CPR numbers, vital status, immigration)
National register of patients (Hospital procedures and diagnoses)
IDA database (labour market, education, income, and unenployment)
Registry of Medicinal Product Statistics (prescribed medication)
2. Low level drinking is what interests most people/ public debate
Not OK to suggest that drinking one glass of wine is not OK
Those doing the moderate drinking in Denmark are the well-educated
FASD 2015, Vancouver, Canada
Greetings from Denmark
Interested in the clinical work at the Family Centre or research with
cohort/ registries from Denmark please feel free to contact me:
Thank you for your attention!!!!
Janni Niclasen, psychologist, PhD
Assistant professor
Institute of Psychology
University of Copenhagen
Denmark
janni.niclasen@psy.ku.dk