Developmental Care and Follow‐Up of Infants Exposed to Alcohol and/or Drugs in Utero: An Australian Benchmarking Survey

AIM: Infants exposed to alcohol and/or drugs (AoD) in utero are at considerable risk for developmental complications which are amenable to early intervention. There are no published guidelines in Australia for the allied health care of infants and toddlers (0-2 years) who have been exposed to AoD in utero. This study aimed to explore the current service delivery and follow-up health services available across Australia for this high-risk population group. METHODS: A custom-designed survey was distributed via email to the leading contact of hospitals based in Australia that offered a neonatal-based follow-up service (n = 43). Reminders to prompt completion were emailed out at regular intervals over a two-month period. RESULTS: A total of 15 of 43 invited services (35%) provided responses with only 3 of 15 (20%) offering targeted care for infants exposed to AoD and 5 (33%) using any formal developmental or screening tools with this population. Responses indicated inconsistencies with allied health involvement including professions involved and time points for follow-up care. Funding was highlighted as a key barrier to conducting follow-up assessments, with 12 of 15 (80%) health services reporting they received no dedicated funding for this population. CONCLUSION: Within the responding services, our data reflects the lack of consensus on any standardised process for assessment or follow-up service delivery for this high-risk patient population. Although the response rate was low, it is consistent with previous health professional survey research. There remains a need for further research and the development of clinical care guidelines on best standard protocols for assessing and supporting the development of infants exposed to AoD in utero.