OĽGA OKÁLOVÁ, ANNA KÚTNIKOVÁ ZUZANA GEJDOŠOVÁ MIROSLAV PILÁT EXPERIENCE WITH AN IDENTIFICATION OF EVIDENCE ABOUT MOTHER'S DRINKING ALCOHOL DURING PREGNANCY... 67 EXPERIENCE WITH AN IDENTIFICATION OF EVIDENCE ABOUT MOTHER'S DRINKING ALCOHOL DURING PREGNANCY WITHIN A FRAMEWORK OF 4-DIGIT CODE DIAGNOSTICS OF FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME DISORDER (FASD) Oľga Okálová, Anna Kútniková, Zuzana Gejdošová, Miroslav Pilát Abstract In the system of social work policy, social legal protection and caregiving policy there is no compre- hensive system in Slovakia which would record a biological mother's use of alcohol during preg- nancy. However, the evidence of mother's use of alcohol during pregnancy has a signifcant impact on accurate diagnostics, therapy, education, but mainly, on social adaptability of young clients placed in foster care. As of September 2015, the number grew to 6,277 children and a trend is on the rise. FAS/FASD diagnosis is ten time greater in this group of individuals (children placed in foster care) than in the rest of population. This is caused by mothers' drinking, who are, or were, the chil- dren with FAS/FASD, as well as, later victims of long term neglect, maltreatment and sexual abuse. Many times, these women unintentionally seriously harmed their child. Specialists defned the fetal alcohol syndrome and its spectrum as a signifcant prenatal disease which is a preventible cause of social failure, whether due to mental retardation, or mostly because of secondary victimisation of a handicapped person. The authors of this study present results of a qualitative research, which had been performed until June 2015 on 19 clients diagnosed in the Centre for Diagnostics, Therapy and Prevention of FAS at Education Faculty, Catholic University, Ružomberok. The goal of this study is an interpretation of the 4-digit code within the Slovak system of social legal protection. As a result, the authors formulate a scientifc conclusion which will beneft a diagnostic and clinical practice of Fetal alcohol syndrome and its spectrum in Slovakia. Keywords Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum disorder, diagnosis, treatment, prevention, Slovakia Introduction Fetal alcohol syndrome – describes a set of symptoms in children of mothers who used alcohol during pregnancy and when all symptoms are present, i.e., typical facial phenotype, CNS damage and growth defciency. If only some of the symptoms are present, combinations of individual