The Economic Costs of Alcohol and Drug Abuse in the United States - 1992
Table 4.13
Health and Other Services for Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, 1992
|
Specific Birth Defect |
Annual Cost of Treatment |
Length of Treatment Period |
Percent in FAS |
Population Served |
Total Cost (millions) |
Prenatal growth retardation |
Neonatal intensive care: 7 days at $2,000/day |
Once, first year |
80.0% |
6,365 |
$89.1 |
Postnatal growth retardation |
Hospital evaluation, $2,357 |
Once, first year |
80.0% |
6,365 |
$15.0 |
Audiological defects |
Neonatal screening, $97 |
Once, first year |
100.0% |
7,956 |
$0.8 |
|
AVR test, $263 |
Once, first year |
56.0% |
4,455 |
$1.2 |
|
Acoustic impedance test, $51 |
Once, first year |
56.0% |
4,455 |
$0.2 |
Serous otitis media |
Surgery, $1,315, incl. recovery |
Once, first year |
81.0% |
6,444 |
$8.5 |
Midsensorineural hearing loss |
Hearing aid evaluation, $124 |
Once by 12 yrs. |
27.0% |
2,205 |
$0.3 |
|
Hearing aids, $750 |
Once by 12 yrs. |
27.0% |
2,205 |
$1.7 |
|
Hearing aid check, $230 |
Once by 12 yrs. |
27.0% |
2,205 |
$0.5 |
|
Hearing aid orientation, $81 |
Once by 12 yrs. |
27.0% |
2,205 |
$0.2 |
Minimal brain dysfunction |
Special education: one teacher plus one 7-hour educational assistance per 10 students at $5,650/year |
Ages 5—18 |
53.0% |
52,955 |
$299.2 |
Mid-moderate mental retardation |
Special education: one teacher plus one 7-hour and one 4-hour educational assistance per 7.5 students at $7,790/year |
Ages 5—21 |
18.0% |
20,661 |
$161.0 |
|
Home care, $32,850/year |
Ages 22—65 |
14.4% |
20,751 |
$681.7 |
|
Residential care, $36,500/year |
Ages 22—65 |
3.6% |
5,188 |
$189.4 |
Severe mental retardation |
Residential care, $36,500/ year |
Ages 5—65 |
5.0% |
12,945 |
$472.5 |
Cleft palate |
Series of operations plus followup for hearing and speech, $20,000 |
Once by 15 yrs. |
12.5% |
990 |
$19.8 |
|
Speech therapy at $35/session, weekly |
One year between ages 5 and 15 |
12.5% |
997 |
$1.8 |
Neurotube |
Surgery, at $10,312 |
Once by 10 yrs. |
1.8% |
150 |
$1.5 |
| TOTAL |
$1,944.2 |
Sources: Previous studies of the costs of treating FAS: Russell (1980); Harwood and Napolitano (1985); Rice et al. (1990); Abel and Sokol (1987, 1991a,b). Population data: U.S. Bureau of the Census (1994).
Notes: Components may not sum to totals because of rounding. Cost does not account for mandatory Federal early intervention programs for alcohol- and drug-exposed infants and toddlers, ages 2 to 4. Prevalence in FAS population is the proportion who need services. Somewhat fewer persons actually receive needed services, although there are no data available at present to estimate the proportion of care delivered versus needed.
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