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Sunday, November 23, 2025

FASD News - 47/2025

Globalization and Health - Do alcohol industry-funded organisations act to correct misinformation? A qualitative study of pregnancy and infant health content following independent analysis
Following independent public health analysis of their informational outputs, misinformation about pregnancy and infant health remains present on alcohol industry-funded websites. Warnings to the public to avoid alcohol industry-funded information sources should form an essential part of the global effort to tackle health misinformation.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12992-025-01125-4

Contemporary OB/GYN (USA) - 5% of people in the US have FASD and doctors must change how they diagnose it
Rajesh Miranda, PhD, explains how 5% of people have Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD).
https://www.contemporaryobgyn.net/shorts/5-of-people-in-the-us-have-fasd-and-doctors-must-change-how-they-diagnose-it

Children's National Hospital - Researchers advance new drug development for fetal alcohol spectrum disorders
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) are among the most common preventable causes of developmental disability, affecting an estimated 2% to 5% of children in the United States and Western Europe.
https://innovationdistrict.childrensnational.org/researchers-advance-new-drug-development-for-fetal-alcohol-spectrum-disorders/

Now Habersham (USA) - Ossoff backs bipartisan bill to expand support for children with disabilities
Georgia’s U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff is backing a bipartisan push to expand federal support for children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, citing gaps in services for affected families in Georgia and across the country.
https://nowhabersham.com/ossoff-backs-bipartisan-bill-to-expand-support-for-children-with-disabilities/

Times of India - Scientists warn: Even small amounts of alcohol during pregnancy can permanently damage a baby’s brain
In a breakthrough, researchers at Texas A&M University have found that alcohol consumption during pregnancy can cause permanent brain damage in unborn babies.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/parenting/pregnancy/scientists-warn-even-small-amounts-of-alcohol-during-pregnancy-can-permanently-damage-a-babys-brain/articleshow/125079593.cms

RNZ (New Zealand) - Neurodivergent youth more likely to die before age of 25 than peers, study finds
Young people with a neurodevelopmental condition are five times more likely to die before the age of 25 than those without one, a study has found.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/577955/neurodivergent-youth-more-likely-to-die-before-age-of-25-than-peers-study-finds

Canadian Medical Association Journal (Canada) - Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder: a guideline for diagnosis across the lifespan
https://www.cmaj.ca/content/188/3/191/T1

CanFASD - Removing barriers: an FASD-informed approach to substance use treatment
Each year, National Addictions Awareness Week highlights solutions that help address the harms related to alcohol and other drugs. From November 16–22, Canadians are invited to learn more about prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery.
https://canfasd.ca/2025/11/17/removing-barriers-an-fasd-informed-approach-to-substance-use-treatment/

 

VIDEOS
FARR (Foundation for Alcohol Related Research) - Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Behaviour Management
Welcome to the 5th video of our series, addressing key aspects related to FASD. In this video former FARR Researcher, Dr Jaco Louw discusses some general principles that can help with behavioural challenges faced by individuals living with FASD.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svpJ7BiMEoM

FASDSUCCESS - Mental Health & FASD: Hope, Healing, and What We Can Do | Dr. Jackie Pei
In this powerful conversation, Jeff Noble sits down with Dr. Jackie Pei, senior researcher and psychologist with CANFASD, to unpack one of the most important and misunderstood parts of FASD — mental health.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czvcBaY5FeE

Health Nexus Santé - FASD, COVID-19, and Aggression
The webinar presents new research updates on child-to-parent aggression in the home. Speakers Maude Champagne and Lauri Cabral will present current initiatives aimed at responding to childhood aggression towards family members in the context of FASD.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5-AAX-dvQ4

Health Nexus Santé - FASD and Sleep (English)
The reasons for sleep difficulties in children with FASD and the potential impact of poor sleep on the child and family will be highlighted.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpemUOlLp_s

Health Nexus Santé - FASD and Animal Assisted Services
In this presentation, the CFAS' National Director/CEO Joanne Moss and Social Worker Azra Alibhai will review latest evidence about animal assisted services and how they can ease anxiety and stress for individuals with FASD or other neurodevelopmental disabilities.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BdIjay2XGo

FASDSUCCESS - The Brain–Gut Connection & FASD | Dr. Tamara Bodnar on Microbiome Science
In this fascinating (and funny) episode, Jeff Noble talks with Dr. Tamara Bodnar from UBC about her pioneering research on the gut–brain axis in FASD.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCaaMqiIPxU

CanFASD - Canada FASD Conference Film Festival 2025: Runner Up - An Update from the Man: A Decade on with FASD
"An Update from the Man: A Decade on with FASD” is a short film by Reinier deSmit, recognized as the Third Runner-Up at the Canada FASD Conference Film Festival 2025.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrW5DEJTMTk

CanFASD - The Story of AFECT - CanFASD's Adult FASD Expert Collaboration Team
The Adult FASD Expert Collaboration Team (AFECT) was developed to make sure the voices of those with FASD are included in the research process. It is a group of adults with FASD across Canada who meet monthly with CanFASD members to talk about FASD research.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kUEficZnrM

CanFASD - Canada FASD Conference Film Festival 2025: Runner Up - Titoki: A Camp for People with FASD
"Titoki: A Camp for People with FASD" is a short film by FASD-Can, recognized as the Second Runner-Up at the Canada FASD Conference Film Festival 2025.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nciXP_i293Y

FASD United (formerly NOFAS) - FASD United Policy Forum - October 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ghlmw3J_Rkk

PCA Families - PCAF Intro to FASD 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8Sov6kE0eI

FASDSUCCESS - From Fires to Foundations with the Freemans
What if you could hear the same family one year apart and actually feel the shift from chaos to connection? In this powerful before-and-after episode, Jeff revisits Angela Freeman and her two kids, Ruby and Elias.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bzDv7pWeOI

Your Biggest Breakthrough - Adoption, FASD, & Faith: How Joel Sheagren Turned Family Struggles into a God-Given Mission
We’ve got an episode today that’s going to stop you in your tracks. You’re going to meet Joel Sheagren, an award-winning filmmaker whose story feels like a movie itself, only this one’s real, raw, and full of God’s fingerprints.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnlbdOwfPDc

Real Talk with Tina and Ann - Beyond Shame: Hearing “It’s Not Your Fault with RJ Formanek on Living with FASD part 2
We dig into life with FASD beyond labels: how shame warps identity, how routines protect mornings, and why late-blooming brains change everything.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2oCu6N_tDs

 

RESEARCH
University of Alberta - Mental Health Professionals' Competence and Current Practices Responding to Suicidality in Individuals with FASD
People with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) experience elevated rates of mental health challenges compared to the general population. Of particular concern are the elevated rates of suicidality consistently reported among people with FASD.
https://ualberta.scholaris.ca/items/cb85f6aa-845f-4452-927c-eac2957152d2

Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research - Renal and cardiovascular function in children with FASD: Potential links to food approach and avoidance behaviors
Together, these findings suggest that renal and cardiovascular function may be altered in children and adolescents with FASD, which may be linked to abnormal food-related behaviors and/or other clinical or demographic factors.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41243430/

Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research - The Families Moving Forward Connect Teacher Companion website: Development and initial pilot randomized trial of an FASD-informed resource for teachers
The FMF Connect Teacher Companion website is a feasible, acceptable FASD-informed resource for teachers.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/acer.70189

BMC Oral Health - Exploring the knowledge, attitudes, and potential role of oral health practitioners in FASD screening in South Africa
The findings reveal substantial knowledge gaps among South African OHPs regarding FASD, but also indicate strong interest and readiness to advance their knowledge.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12903-025-07017-8

Adoption & Fostering - Perspectives of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder diagnoses in children: The experiences of adoptive parents in Scotland
Caring for a child with FASD brings significant challenges, often driven by shortcomings in professional knowledge and services. Parents described their futures as highly uncertain, with mental health, social support and financial wellbeing reported as being precarious.
https://www.research.ed.ac.uk/en/publications/perspectives-of-fetal-alcohol-spectrum-disorder-diagnoses-in-chil/

Adoption Quarterly - Parenting Adopted Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD): Risk and Protective Factors
A higher prevalence of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) has been found among adopted children. This condition may pose significant challenges for their parents, potentially affecting their mental health.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10926755.2025.2583535

Česká Gynekologie - Determination of markers of ethyl alcohol consumption in pregnancy
This study confirms that EtG and EtS are reliable markers of ethanol exposure in meconium. However, we were unable to determine definitive cut off values for PAE based on these biomarkers.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41170789/

Advances in Neurodevelopmental Disorders - Some Today, More Tomorrow: A Pilot Study on Delay Discounting in Adolescents with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)
Results provide preliminary discounting rates that can serve as a point of reference for future research on reward processing in FASD. Results additionally demonstrate the heterogeneity of FASD presentations on a measure of delay discounting.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s41252-025-00467-9

Developmental Neuroscience - Abnormal Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Medial Prefrontal Cortex Following Prenatal Alcohol Exposure and Placental Insufficiency in a Preclinical Model
While all areas analyzed were impacted by the prenatal insults, the striatum, which consists primarily of efferent pathways, appears more vulnerable to injury compared to the PFC.
https://karger.com/dne/article/doi/10.1159/000549504/939215/Abnormal-Magnetic-Resonance-Imaging-in-the-Medial

BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health - Role of maternal alcohol intake during pregnancy in early-life child neurodevelopment: results of the Italian PHIME cohort
Low levels of PAE were not associated with neurodevelopmental impairment at 18 months, except for possible motor impairment at higher exposures: our findings highlight the predominant influence of maternal IQ and the home environment.
https://nutrition.bmj.com/content/early/2025/11/10/bmjnph-2025-001313

Neuropharmacology - Prenatal alcohol exposure induces circular and linear long non-coding RNAs, and protein-coding genes linked to proinflammatory neuroimmune function, promoting nerve injury-induced allodynia following morphine treatment
This study characterized spinal transcriptomics and explored potential roles of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) underlying this paradoxical effect of morphine in PAE mice.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0028390825004642

NeuroMarkers - This review summarizes advances in the literature on microRNAs as
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders constitute a range of physical and cognitive abnormalities in newborn infants that are caused by prenatal alcohol exposure.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2950588725001089

BMC psychiatry - Association of prenatal alcohol exposure and prenatal depressive symptoms with offspring hair cortisol in childhood and adolescence
The present study provides further evidence of long-term effects of alcohol consumption during pregnancy on the HPA axis development of the child, as manifested in distinct trajectories of HCC from primary school age to early adolescence.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12888-025-07559-9

Journal of Medical Science, Biology, and Chemistry - Prevalence and Risk Factors of Intimate Partner Violence among Women Who Use Alcohol During Pregnancy in Plateau State, Nigeria: A Cross-Sectional Study
Partner violence and alcohol use disorder among pregnant women are recognised as major public health problems worldwide, particularly in Africa.
https://journals.stecab.com/jmsbc/article/view/1015

Primary Care Companion for CNS Disorders - Talking to Your Patients About Alcohol, Marijuana, and Substance Use During Pregnancy
The Psychiatric Consultation Service at Massachusetts General Hospital sees medical and surgical inpatients with comorbid psychiatric symptoms and conditions.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41248008/

Journal of Addictions and Offender Councelling - “I Wouldn't for Myself; I'm Quitting for Her”: Pregnant Hispanic Mothers’ SUD and Trauma Experiences
Pregnant Hispanic women face compounded risks of substance use disorder (SUD) and trauma exposure, yet little research explores their resilience and coping from a strengths-based lens.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/jaoc.70008

BMJ Public Health - Alcohol consumption during pregnancy in Scotland following public health interventions: population-based study
One in four women self-reported alcohol consumption during early pregnancy. Only MUP was associated with lower consumption among pregnant women. The public health measures were collectively associated with improvement in select perinatal outcomes, highlighting the potential effectiveness of universal interventions.
https://bmjpublichealth.bmj.com/content/3/2/e003264

European Journal of Public Health - The use of alcohol-free and low-alcohol drinks in pregnancy in the UK
Although alcohol-free and low-alcohol drinks are commonly consumed during pregnancy, there are some safety concerns. Their role as a harm reduction measure in those who are drinking alcohol at increasing risk levels prepregnancy needs further investigation.
https://academic.oup.com/eurpub/advance-article/doi/10.1093/eurpub/ckaf188/8317086

 

IN OTHER LANGUAGES
thesis.unipd.it (Italy) - L' astinenza neonatale da alcol: efficacia degli interventi non farmacologici
La gestione non farmacologica della NAS dovuta all’esposizione prenatale all’alcol si afferma come una pratica efficace e sostenibile, ottenendo benefici clinici per il neonato e per il contesto assistenziale.
https://thesis.unipd.it/handle/20.500.12608/97311

Krajowe Centrum Przeciwdziałania Uzależnienom KCPU (Poland) - Rozum (1): Zrozumienie perspektywy dziecka z FASD
Film edukacyjny dla kandydatów na rodziców adopcyjnych oraz rodzin zastępczych niezawodowych w zakresie FASD.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1efNsET9DwQ

FASD TSAF (Switzerland) - Un cordiale benvenuto!
Sono aperte le iscrizioni alla formazione di base per chi, nell’ambito della propria attività professionale, si trova a contatto con persone colpite da disturbi dello spettro alcolico fetale (FASD). Il corso, organizzato in collaborazione con Fachverband Sucht, è aperto a tutte le professioni.
https://fasd-schweiz.ch/index.php/it/

Vinmonopolet (Norway) - Alkoholinntak under amming og graviditet
På denne sida finn du informasjon om alkoholinntak under graviditet og amming.
https://www.vinmonopolet.no/fag/artikler/alkoholinntak-under-amming-og-graviditet

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