Fetal alcohol fight in Crow Wing arms itself with new tool

Former Crow Wing County educator Jody Crowe grew tired of seeing fetal alcohol-related behavioral and learning problems in children around the state.

Crowe is now leading efforts to combat it in a new way: putting cellular technology-based Breathalyzers in the hands of pregnant, alcohol-involved teens and giving them incentives to stay booze-free.

He and others in the nonprofit organization he helped found, Healthy Brains for Children, are launching the program with leaders in Crow Wing County.

"I saw so much loss of potential from prenatal exposure to alcohol," Crowe said. "We have to get to the point of preventing it from happening to the next generation. This is one of the strategies."

Organizers are still figuring out how to find, approach and enroll pregnant girls and women who would benefit most from Breathalyzer testing. They're making teens a priority so that referrals might come from teachers, social workers or others who have contact with pregnant teens, and also so their parents can help them participate.

Initially, organizers hoped to get volunteer participants, but county officials are also thinking about ways that the Breathalyzers might be issued as part of child protection proceedings or carry other legal heft.

Crow Wing County Attorney Donald Ryan said he believes that most moms-to-be want to do what's right for their baby. Organizers hope the Breathalyzers will give them a way to fight peer pressure to drink.

Participants will be able to win incentives, possibly including cellphone minutes, gift cards or other items awarded by the nonprofit group, which will also pay the monthly $150 bills for the monitoring.

"This is so brand new that we will be learning as we go forward," Crowe said. "But even if one child over the course of the next nine months has benefited from it, we will be absolutely happy with our success."

Researchers say such incentive programs can help people stop unhealthy behaviors. Yukiko Washio, an associate research scientist at the Treatment Research Institute in Philadelphia, will help measure the program's success. She previously worked on studies that used incentives to help people stop smoking.

Crowe said the idea was inspired by a Minnesota woman who used a Waseca County Breathalyzer a decade ago.

Teresa Haberman said she's grateful that county officials offered her the equipment in her home after she had legal troubles during her pregnancy. She needed help, she said, and the accountability helped her stay sober.

Haberman is still sober, she said, and pursuing a degree in counseling.