Since the children of the poorest women are at greatest risk intervention it is most critical that we intervene here. Unfortunately, poor women are underserved by health care and social workers at all stages of the FAS process. A majority of women do not know what FAS is, and most of this majority are the poorer mothers. Doctors inform middle class mothers about the problems of FAS, or these women have access to information that tells them of the risk, and these mothers have more options when they give birth to an FAS child. But doctors rarely tell poor mothers about FAS, and it is difficult for poor women to have access to information that would help them make the right choice.
Many poor women have their first encounter with a doctor when they are ready to deliver their baby.
After delivery FAS is rarely diagnosed among poor women, but surfaces later when the child goes to school. And there are few means available for the poor woman when her FAS child begins to develop behavioral problems. It is an effect of the class structure to produce more FAS children among the poor and then leave the poor with little ability to make the best of an FAS situation. Those of us who are concerned about the working and poor classes should work to change this situation. You don't hear about locking up middle class women if they drink.