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Sunday, October 6, 2013

FASD News - 39/2013

International Charter on Prevention of FASD
The First International Conference on Prevention of FASD was held in Edmonton, Canada from September 23 to 25, 2013. The following Charter was endorsed and adopted by the delegates at the meeting, who included about 700 people from 35 countries around the world; senior government officials, scholars and policy makers, parents and families, and indigenous people. It is presented to all concerned in the international community, as a call for urgent actions to prevent FASD.

GlobalPost (Canada) - Panel says Criminal Code should allow conditional sentences for people with FASD
A panel on legal issues facing people with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder is recommending conditional sentences would be better for those convicted of offences.
The Chronicle of Social Change (USA) - Fetal Alcohol Syndrome in America – A Silent Crisis
FASD is the leading known cause of mental retardation in America today. The annual cost to the U.S. of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome alone in direct and indirect cost is approximately $5.4 billion dollars, according to the Minnesota Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (MOFAS).
GlobalPost (Canada) - Alberta Premier Redford urges renewed effort on root causes of FASD
Alberta Premier Alison Redford says it's critical to address the root causes of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and not just the symptoms.
The Argus.ca (Canada) - “Protecting the unprotected”: think before you drink
Lakehead is the first university in Canada to have a pregnancy-test dispenser installed on campus. A single pregnancy test can be purchased for $3 from the dispenser in the women’s washroom in The Outpost. The goal of the dispenser is to raise awareness about fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) and the effects of alcohol on an unborn fetus.
Independent Online (South Africa) - SA moms-to-be unware of alcohol dangers
Many South African mothers-to-be remain unaware of the danger of drinking alcohol while pregnant, a social worker from the Saartjie Baartman Centre said on Monday.
DigitalJournal.com (USA) - 18% Pregnant Women Endangering Infants By Drinking During Pregnancy
According to an article on 9/11 by Medical News Today titled, Nearly 18 percent of pregnant women drink alcohol in early stages of pregnancy, during their first trimester of pregnancy, approximately 18 percent of women consumed alcohol within the past month according to a new report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
Express.co.uk (UK) - Pregnant woman refused wine because barman didn't want it 'on his conscience'
A MOTHER-TO-BE has told how she was left "humiliated" by bar staff after being refused a small glass of wine because she is pregnant.
NEWS.com.au (Australia) - Alcohol industry lags on mandatory pregnancy warning labels
ALCOHOL companies are flouting government guidelines to warn mothers of the dangers of drinking while pregnant.
Healio - Alcohol consumption before first pregnancy increased breast neoplasia risk
Women who consumed alcohol between menarche and first pregnancy carried a 10% increased risk for breast cancer, according to study results.
East Coast Radio (South Africa) - Pregnant mums unaware of alcohol risk
The Saartjie Baartman Centre says many South African mothers-to-be remain unaware of the danger of drinking alcohol while pregnant. "There is still a lot of awareness that needs to be done. Mothers don't know that if they are pregnant they should not be drinking," said social worker Dorothea Gertse.
TheParliament.com (EU) - MEP calls for stricter EU measures to protect unborn babies
More needs to be done to ensure that unborn babies are not exposed to alcohol during pregnancy, explains Radvile Morkunaite-Mikuleniene.
ABC Online - Should fetal alcohol disorder be classed a disability?
Every day, somewhere in Australia, a baby is born who will endure a lifetime of hardship because of an entirely preventable condition.
Edmonton Journal (Canada) - Graham Thomson: Alberta deserves praise as leader in FASD strategy
You might have heard of the two back-to-back conferences in Edmonton dealing with the problem of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD).
NC Research Campus - Less Birth Defects in the World: FASD Prevention and Intervention
Philip May, PhD, a research professor with the UNC Chapel Hill Nutrition Research Institute at the North Carolina Research Campus in Kannapolis, makes that statement with authority because he is one of the world’s leading experts in the field of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). FASD children have a number of disabilities that range from abnormal facial features, to learning and behavioral deficiencies to problems with hearing, vision, the heart, kidneys and bones.

MATERIALS AND VIDEOS
Being dad starts when she gets pregnant
We’re challenging 500 Australians to ‘take a Pause’ from alcohol consumption during the pregnancy of a loved one – wife, partner, daughter, sister, friend or work colleague.
Alcohol and Pregnancy Pocket Guide
WCT Spotlight - Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
Turning the spotlight on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, an important element in our production of Dreary and Izzy. Joining the discussion are Faye Burles, School Psycologist for SD 73, and Lia Vivian, Key Worker for Insight Support Services.

UPCOMING EVENTS
Frontiers - Experimental models of early exposure to alcohol: a way to unravel the neurobiology of mental retardation
Excessive alcohol drinking represents a major social and public health problem for several countries. Alcohol abuse during pregnancy leads to a complex clinical disorder referred to as fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), chiefly characterized by mental retardation (MR).

RESEARCH
Pediatrics - Prevalence of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders in Child Care Settings: A Meta-analysis
The results confirm that children and youth housed in or under the guardianship of the wide range of child-care systems constitute a population that is high-risk for FASD. It is imperative that screening be implemented in these at-risk populations.
CLINICAL CORRELATES OF FETAL ALCOHOL SPECTRUM DISORDER AMONG DIAGNOSED INDIVIDUALS IN A RURAL DIAGNOSTIC CLINIC
Diagnosis of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is relevant for the reduction of long term adverse sequalae. However, the diagnostic guidelines require a multidisciplinary approach which may hinder access to diagnostic and management services. Most diagnostic clinics are located in urban areas. There is less emphasis on the operations, capacities, and outcomes from rural diagnostic clinics.
PLOSone - Fate Analysis of Adult Hippocampal Progenitors in a Murine Model of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)
Prenatal alcohol exposure can lead to fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) and associated behavioral impairments that may be linked to disruptions in adult hippocampal neurogenesis.
Academia.edu - Neurodevelopmental epigenetic etiologies: insightsrom studies on mouse models o etal alcoholspectrum disorders
The development of an organism from a singlecell (ontogeny) is an intricate and enigmaticprocess. It is initiated by maternal and paternalnuclear contributions that are complementary but not identical.
BMC Pediatrics - Recommendations from a consensus development workshop on the diagnosis of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders in Australia
These consensus recommendations provide a foundation for the development of guidelines and other resources to promote consistency in the diagnosis of FASD in Australia. Guidelines for diagnosis will require review and evaluation in the Australian context prior to national implementation as well as periodic review to incorporate new knowledge.
Nutrition Research - Choline supplementation in children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders has high feasibility and tolerability
There are no biological treatments for fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs), lifelong conditions associated with physical anomalies, brain damage, and neurocognitive abnormalities. In preclinical studies, choline partially ameliorates memory and learning deficits from prenatal alcohol exposure.

IN OTHER LANGUAGES
Neue Nordhäuser Zeitung (Germany) - DIE "ERSTE" IN SÜLZHAYN
"Sie sind lieb, sie sind süß, aber auch distanzlos, zerstörerisch, aggressiv, nicht zu bändigen, locken in uns Mutterinstinkte hervor, was soll bloß aus ihnen werden... “, mit diesem einleitenden Satz beginnt Praktikantin Frau Friedrich ihre Bachelorarbeit...
Helsingin Sanomat (Finland) - Päihdeäitien kuntoutukseen ei herunut rahaa hallitukselta
Hallitus haluaa päihdeäidit pakkohoitoon, mutta jätti taas budjetista pois 1,5 miljoonan euron määrärahan vapaaehtoiseen hoitoon. Se on auttanut satoja perheitä.
Helsingin Sanomat (Finland) - Asiantuntijat huolissaan äitien alkoholinkäytöstä – lasillinenkin voi olla liikaa
Vähäinenkin alkoholinkäyttö raskauden aikana huolestuttaa alan tutkijoita. He vetoavat nollatoleranssin puolesta. Asiantuntijat ovat huolissaan raskaana olevien suomalaisten alkoholinkäytöstä.

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