Screening for fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.

QUESTION: I have several patients whom I suspect are drinking during pregnancy. How can I find out for sure if they are? ANSWER: You can use one of the validated tools to screen for problem drinking. Motherisk uses the TWEAK test, but others are just as good. Following birth, you can test infants' meconium for metabolites of ethanol to detect whether they were exposed in utero to excessive drinking.