Only about half of the women who enter inpatient treatment for substance abuse complete the program, according to information from SAMHSA. In outpatient settings, the figure is even lower – a 2009 report found that only 31 percent of female outpatients completed their treatment program. Some women may have difficulty in standard treatment because they are affected by a
co-existing medical condition related to fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), which result from prenatal exposure to alcohol. Such exposure can impair the early development of the brain,
leading to a wide range of subtle, lifelong behavioral and intellectual problems.