A number of contributors will explore Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) as part of FASD Awareness Month. FASD is usually viewed through the lens of risk to the child, however I decided to look at this from a different perspective: that of the woman.
https://www.shaap.org.uk/fetal-alcohol-spectrum-disorder-fasd-some-difficult-issues/
University of Calgary
(Canada) - Rethinking how we understand Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder
University of Calgary researcher Dr. Tamara Bodnar, PhD, is bringing
together community and clinicians to change how fetal alcohol spectrum disorder
(FASD) is understood and addressed in Canada. Bodnar is working to destigmatize
FASD and improve treatment for the estimated one in 25 Canadians with the
disorder.
https://ucalgary.ca/news/rethinking-how-we-understand-fetal-alcohol-syndrome-disorder
Contemporary
Pediatrics - Early choline in FASD tied to IQ, memory gains 5 years later
Nine months of choline supplementation in early childhood was associated
with better nonverbal IQ and working memory among children with fetal alcohol
spectrum disorder (FASD) about 5 years after treatment ended.
https://www.contemporarypediatrics.com/view/early-choline-in-fasd-tied-to-iq-memory-gains-5-years-later
Psychology Today - The
Death Penalty and Brain Impairment
Brain damage, especially Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), is found
in many condemned prisoners. Psychologists, and other forensic experts, tend to
miss or give insufficient weight to FASD.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/incompetence/202610/the-death-penalty-and-brain-impairment
CanFASD (Canada) - There
Is Hope — If You Can Get the Diagnosis
A diagnosis is not a stigma to be avoided. It is a key. Without it, my
daughter spent over a decade struggling in classrooms that had no obligation to
help her. With it, my son has specialized teachers, informed doctors, and a
future built on strategies instead of guesswork. That contrast is the whole
argument: the diagnosis doesn’t create the disadvantage — withholding it does.
https://canfasd.ca/2026/10/07/there-is-hope-if-you-can-get-the-diagnosis/
National Organisation
for FASD (UK) - FASD Left Out Again: Mental Health Review Ignored Our Offer
Today the Department of Health and Social Care published the final report
of the Independent Review into prevalence and support for mental health
conditions, ADHD and autism. The Government has already said the report will
shape its forthcoming Mental Health Strategy.
https://nationalfasd.org.uk/mental-health-adhd-autism-review-ignores-fasd/
WRaP2.0 (Canada) - October
Changes More Than the Weather: Supporting Students with FASD Through Fall
October in Alberta is unpredictable. One day students are outside in
hoodies and running shoes, and a few days later everyone is digging through
backpacks for mittens and wondering where their winter boots went.
https://wrap2fasd.org/2026/10/01/october-changes-more-than-the-weather-supporting-students-with-fasd-through-fall/
European Academy of
Paediatrics (EU) - Alcohol can harm children even when they are not drinking
Alcohol-related harm to children is not limited to underage drinking. That
is the central message of a new article published by the European Academy of
Paediatrics on October 11, alongside a dedicated meeting at the World Health
Summit 2026 in Berlin.
https://eapaediatrics.eu/protecting-children-from-alcohol-related-harm/
SBS News - Misunderstood
and overlooked: living with FASD
As a new Australian research centre dedicated to FASD prepares to launch,
people living with the condition and advocates say stigma and misunderstanding
remain barriers to diagnosis and support.
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/podcast-episode/stopped-blaming-myself-jessicas-journey-to-a-fasd-diagnosis/024ep4ibf
Boksburg Advertiser
(South Africa) - Protecting little lives before they begin
SANCA Horizon and Soul City Institute have joined forces to raise awareness
about Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), urging communities to support
pregnant women and help prevent alcohol-related harm to unborn babies.
https://www.citizen.co.za/boksburg-advertiser/news-headlines/2026/10/07/protecting-little-lives-before-they-begin/
FASD United Policy and
Training Center (USA) - Extend Your Impact and Continue Your Advocacy
Two weeks ago, over 100 advocates attended nearly 90 meetings with House
and Senate offices to urge Congress to Fund FASD. Now, you have the opportunity
to extend that impact beyond a single day of advocacy.
https://nofaspolicycenter.org/extend-your-impact-and-continue-your-advocacy/
VIDEOS
Day One Hāpai te Haeata - My Journey With FASD
WATCH MY JOURNEY WITH FASD: A slice of life animated documentary following
a teenager in Aotearoa living with FASD.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuNKDrhNjhc
Called to Love with
Somer Colbert - Understanding and Caring for Children With Fetal Alcohol
Syndrome Disorders
For this episode, I am joined by Sandra Flach. After adopting her youngest
son in 2010, Sandra co-founded Justice For Orphans and started The Adoption
& Foster Care Journey Podcast.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frq7lRs5vEY
FASD Awareness - FASD:
In Their Own Words Film Launch- FASD Webinar #37
In this special webinar we celebrate the launch of FASD: In Their Own
Words, a powerful new series of short films created for FASD Awareness Month
2026.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ifGypcKLIA
HSJCC - FASD 101 -
Foundations and Overview
In collaboration with the Northwest Regional HSJCC’s Fetal Alcohol Spectrum
Disorder (FASD) Justice System Working Group, the Provincial HSJCC is pleased
to invite you to join us for an FASD Education Webinar Series, beginning with
FASD 101: Foundations and Overview.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxOCY-Fsqm4
Patricia Kasper, Your
FASD Coach - From Flunking Speech to Podcasting: Overcoming the FASD
Narrative with Ann Kagarise
In this warm, candid, and deeply validating conversation, host Patti Kasper
sits down with fellow adult on the spectrum Ann Kagarise (host of _Real Talk
with Tina and Ann_).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiO1OcOm1Og
PCA Families - FASD
and Adolescence
FASD and Adolescence presented by Prue Walker
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prBdRzYZ7c8
Harrison's Hope FASD -
Living with FASD: The Story Behind Everything Clicks | Mary Byrnes
Mary Byrnes shares her personal journey with FASD, motherhood, and
late-in-life diagnosis, offering hope and understanding for individuals living
with FASD, caregivers, families, and professionals.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twcr5D0joLs
Justice For Orphans - The
AFCJ Podcast - Ep. 552 - Finding Hope on the FASD Journey with Rebecca
Ciesielski
This episode continues our FASD
Awareness Month series with special guest, foster and adoptive mom, Rebecca
Ciesielski.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h30QxDa-mHw
FASD United (formerly
NOFAS) - FASD & Life - Sharing Living Experience - FASD United Red Shoes
Gala
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjXbvpnE8vk
Psychogastroenterologist
Podcast Program - Episode 13: Nutrition and Eating Challenges in Kids with
FASD
In this episode, we explore the complex relationship between FASD,
nutrition, and eating challenges.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oovd3IMLBcE
VCHIP - Beyond
Screening: Addressing Substance Exposure From Pregnancy Through Infancy
This webinar focuses on the current landscape of substance exposure at both
the local level in Vermont and national level. Participants will learn about
the importance of screening for substance use during pregnancy and connecting
parents to resources and support services.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSIMD3e-_yE
FASD Florida Center - FASD
Collective - Shifts that Work: Mental Health
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsVf0e5ftUc
RESEARCH
Journal of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder - Advancing FASD education
through interprofessional learning: A practice note for health science
curricula
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is a highly prevalent yet
underrecognized condition that requires multidisciplinary, stigma-free care.
Despite its significance, FASD education is inconsistently addressed in health
science curricula, leaving future health care professionals underprepared to
support affected individuals.
https://utppublishing.com/doi/full/10.3138/jfasd-2026-0002
Pilot and Feasibility
Studies - A feasibility trial of a psychological intervention for addressing
alcohol problems during pregnancy: a study protocol
The pilot trial of the Mommy and Baby Wellness Programme provides initial
evidence on the feasibility and acceptability of a community health
worker–delivered psychological intervention to reduce alcohol use among
pregnant women in South Africa.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40814-026-01932-5
Alcohol: Clinical and
Experimental Research - Long-Term Neurodevelopmental Outcome Following Three
Randomized Controlled Trials of Choline in Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
(FASD)
Very few RCTs have been conducted in FASD, and interventions targeting
cognitive functioning are needed. The data reported here suggest that choline
supplementation has long-lasting neurodevelopmental benefits, especially in
non-verbal IQ and working memory for individuals with FASD.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/acer.70394
biorxiv.org - Prenatal
Alcohol Exposure Downregulates Focal Adhesion Molecules Tensin 1 and Tensin 2
Contributing to Cerebrovascular Dysfunction
Overall, we found that miR-150-5p negatively regulates Tns1 and Tns2 in
BMVECs and that augmenting Tns1 and Tns2 expression may reverse the negative
effects of EtOH, and subsequent miR-150-5p elevation, thus improving
endothelial cell sprouting during cerebrovascular development.
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.06.757079v1.abstract
Archives of Clinical
Neuropsychology - B-21: State of the State: Review of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum
Disorder Epidemiology in Alaska
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder remains a significant but underrecognized
public health concern in Alaska, characterized by diagnostic complexity, high
comorbidity, and system-level capacity constraints.
https://academic.oup.com/acn/article/41/Supplement_2/ii81/8875345
Research in
Neurodiversity - Understanding public perceptions of fetal alcohol spectrum
disorder (FASD): An examination of stigmatizing attitudes in Canada and the
influence of strengths
Findings partially support a specific public stigma towards FASD and
suggest comparably less stigma towards ADHD. Development of effective
interventions addressing FASD stigma is warranted, and future research areas
are discussed.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S3050579826000653
University of East
Anglia - The Educational Experiences of Young People
with a Diagnosis of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) in UK Secondary
Schools: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis.
The study adds to the limited UK evidence base, highlighting these young
people’s educational experiences as multifaceted and how they make sense of
school through relationships, trust, peer support, sensory safety, academic
self-concept and perceptions of school ethos.
https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/104654/
Drug and Alcohol Dependence - Longitudinal
Pathways from Prenatal Alcohol Exposure and Infant Behaviors to Verbal IQ and
Working Memory
PAE was related to poorer Verbal IQ and WM from 4-21 years of age, via
2-year cognitive outcomes associated with 6- and 12-month infant mental and
visual recognition performance.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S037687162600373X
Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research - Moderate
Prenatal Alcohol Exposure Disrupts Brain Redox Homeostasis and the Activity of
Tyrosine Phosphatase STEP in Adult Offspring
These findings demonstrate that moderate PAE leads to long-lasting
alterations in the brain's redox homeostasis and compromises STEP function in
male offspring.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/acer.70421
South African Journal of Science - Alcohol
use before pregnancy recognition among women in seven South African communities
South Africa has the highest prevalence of foetal alcohol spectrum
disorder, caused by prenatal alcohol exposure, globally. In this retrospective,
exploratory document study, we evaluated data from intake interviews for an
antenatal support programme to investigate the participants’ drinking behaviour
prior to pregnancy.
https://www.ajol.info/index.php/sajsci/article/view/336850
Epidemiology - Substance Use and Pregnancy
Attempts in the Apple Women’s Health Study
In this sample of AWHS participants, those who started attempting to
conceive a pregnancy had a similar prevalence of current cannabis use as those
who did not start a pregnancy attempt.
https://www.ovid.com/jnls/epidem/fulltext/10.1097/01.ede.0001282040.94846.90~substance-use-and-pregnancy-attempts-in-the-apple-womens
medRxiv - Patterns of substance use during
pregnancy are differentially associated with maternal mental health across the
perinatal periood
Our findings highlight the importance of considering the persistence and
cessation of substance use during pregnancy in the context of maternal mental
health, pointing to patterns of persistent substance use as a potential target
to inform screening and early intervention for women at higher risk for
perinatal psychological distress.
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.01.26364530v1
International Journal of Environmental
Research and Public Health - The Effect of Maternal Cigarette Smoking and
Alcohol Consumption During Pregnancy on
Cardio-Metabolic Risk Factors in
Infants, Children, and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
The association between maternal cigarette smoking and offspring systolic
blood pressure was inconclusive due to borderline significance. The evidence
regarding vascular outcomes and lipid profiles remained limited and
inconsistent.
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Tammy-Ras/publication/415149705_The_Effect_of_Maternal_Cigarette_Smoking_and_Alcohol_Consumption_During_Pregnancy_on_Cardio-Metabolic_Risk_Factors_in_Infants_Children_and_Adolescents_A_Systematic_Review_and_Meta-Analysis/links/6abf87f7db7d3b1c53a07ff3/The-Effect-of-Maternal-Cigarette-Smoking-and-Alcohol-Consumption-During-Pregnancy-on-Cardio-Metabolic-Risk-Factors-in-Infants-Children-and-Adolescents-A-Systematic-Review-and-Meta-Analysis.pdf
IN OTHER LANGUAGES
Universitat de Valencia (Spain) - Riesgo percibido del efecto del consumo de
alcohol sobre el feto en mujeres en edad fértil
El consumo de alcohol durante el embarazo constituye un problema de salud
pública por sus posibles efectos sobre el desarrollo fetal, entre los que
destacan los trastornos del espectro alcohólico fetal (TEAF), un conjunto de
manifestaciones clínicas relacionadas con alteraciones físicas, cognitivas,
conductuales y adaptativas que pueden presentarse a lo largo de todo el ciclo
vital.
https://roderic.uv.es/items/8c2fbcc7-2cd2-4037-84ca-c324543e9e90
HanseMerkur (Germany)
- Alkohol in der Schwangerschaft: Kein Schluck ist unbedenklich
In Deutschland wird etwa jede Stunde ein Kind mit Schädigungen geboren, die
durch Alkoholkonsum während der Schwangerschaft bedingt sind. Das sind mehr als
10.000 im Jahr (mit einer hohen Dunkelziffer), davon etwa 3.000 mit dem
Vollbild des Fetalen Alkoholsyndroms.
https://newsroom.hansemerkur.de/pressemitteilungen/alkohol-in-der-schwangerschaft-kein-schluck-ist-unbedenklich/
Welltica (Denmark) - Kolin-tilskud
til småbørn med alkohol-relaterede hjerneskader hævede IQ med 7 procent
Hjerneskader fra alkohol i fosterlivet har længe været regnet som
permanente, men et nyt opfølgningsstudie peger i en anden retning for en gruppe
små børn.
https://welltica.dk/ernaering/vitaminer-og-kosttilskud/kolin-tilskud-til-smaaboern-med-alkohol-relaterede-hjerneskader-haevede-iq-med-7-procent/
Le jour (France) - Dr
William Zambo Zambo : « Boire enceinte, c’est faire boire son enfant »
Résident en fin de spécialisation en gynécologie Obstétrique à la Faculté
de Médecine et des Sciences Biomédicales de l’université de Yaoundé 1 et
interne des hôpitaux de Paris, explique ce que l’alcool provoque chez le fœtus,
à quel moment de la grossesse le risque est le plus élevé, et pourquoi aucune
quantité ne peut être considérée comme sans danger.
https://lejour.cm/dr-william-zambo-zambo-boire-enceinte-cest-faire-boire-son-enfant/
Detmold Plus (Germany)
- Ein bewegender Abend zum Thema FASD im Kreishaus
Fetale Alkohol-Spektrum-Störung (FASD), ein Thema, das viel zu selten
öffentlich besprochen wird, obwohl laut Drogen- und Suchtbericht des Bundes
schätzungsweise rund 1,5 Millionen Menschen in Deutschland betroffen sind.
https://www.detmoldplus.de/ein-bewegender-abend-zum-thema-fasd-im-kreishaus/
Sin adiccion (Spain) -
Síndrome alcohólico fetal: señales, diagnóstico y prevención
El síndrome alcohólico fetal es la forma más reconocible dentro de los
trastornos del espectro alcohólico fetal. Estos trastornos pueden aparecer
cuando el cerebro y otros órganos quedan expuestos al alcohol durante el
embarazo.
https://sinadiccion.com/sindrome-alcoholico-fetal
Portal Zory (Poland)
- Ciąża bez alkoholu. Nie ma bezpiecznej dawki ani momentu
Jedno zdanie porządkuje najważniejszą zasadę kampanii prowadzonej także w
Żorach: w ciąży nie ma bezpiecznej dawki alkoholu.
https://portalzory.pl/20261015265976/ciaza-bez-alkoholu-nie-ma-bezpiecznej-dawki-ani-momentu
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