NEWS and ARTICLES
The Lancet - The international
charter on prevention of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder
The first
international conference on prevention of fetal alcohol spectrum
disorders was held in Edmonton, AB, Canada, on Sept 23—25, 2013.
The conference resulted in the production, endorsement, and adoption
of the following international charter on the prevention of fetal
alcohol spectrum disorder by more than 700 people from 35 countries
worldwide, including senior government officials, scholars and
policymakers, clinicians and other front-line service providers,
parents, families, and indigenous people. It is presented to all
concerned in the international community as a call for urgent action
to prevent fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.
The Independent (UK) - Drinking
alcohol while pregnant could become a crime after landmark test case
A landmark test
case due to be heard by the Court of Appeal could criminalise
excessive drinking during pregnancy. It will be argued that a
six-year-old girl is the victim of a crime because she suffered brain
damage when she was exposed to alcohol in the womb - a risk that her
mother was aware of, Sky News has reported.
Mirror - One in
four miscarriages could be PREVENTED, according to new research
Being obese,
lifting heavy objects and boozing during pregnancy all raise the risk
of an expectant mum losing her unborn child.
MedicalXpress -
New research reinforces danger of drinking alcohol while pregnant
Women who drink
alcohol at moderate or heavy levels in the early stages of their
pregnancy might damage the growth and function of their placenta –
the organ responsible for supplying everything that a developing
infant needs until birth - research at The University of Manchester
shows.
Irish Health -
Alcohol in pregnancy 'damages placenta'
Women who drink
moderate to heavy amounts of alcohol during the early stages of
pregnancy may damage their placenta, a new study has found.
Colorado (USA) -
Pregnant Arapaphoe County Citizens Must Avoid Alcohol
With 595,546
residents, Arapaphoe County has the third highest population in
Colorado state (as of 2012). The Tri-County Health Department (data
from the 2011 Arapahoe County Health Profile) found that in September
2011, 19.5 percent of Arapahoe residents (aged 18 years and older)
had indulged in binge drinking. A significant percentage of them were
women.
Mancunian Matters
- Even just TWO alcoholic drinks in early pregnancy can stunt
baby's growth, says Manchester study
Two or three
drinks while pregnant could damage the growth of a baby’s internal
organs and impact their psychological development, according to a
Manchester study.
Anchorage Daily
News - Our View: Break silence about FASD, make awareness
universal
Deb Evensen of
Homer has worked in education about Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) and
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) for 30 years. She's still
working for a wider awareness of those cruel afflictions, which are
100 percent preventable -- but when not prevented, last for life.
Anchorage Daily
News - A diagnosis can change the life of a child with FASD
Most children and
especially most adults with a fetal alcohol syndrome disorder will
never be diagnosed.
Sydney Morning
Herald (Australia) - Lives and crimes: Kids who suffer foetal
alcohol spectrum disorder
Before Jack ever
had a drink, alcohol permanently changed his brain. The 26-year-old's
mother drank while pregnant and today Jack suffers from foetal
alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). He is impatient, impulsive, with a
poor memory and a short attention span.
Food World News -
Fathers Drinking Before Pregnancy May Cause Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
We all know that
women who drink alcohol while pregnant can cause significant problems
for their unborn children. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) can cause
issues such as retarded intellect, stunted growth and nervous system
abnormalities. Now, though, researchers have found that it's not just
mothers who should watch what they drink. It turns out that dads may
also have more accountability.
RESEARCH
BMC - Alcohol
consumption during pregnancy and birth outcomes: the Kyushu Okinawa
Maternal and Child Health Study
This is the first
study in Japan to show that maternal alcohol consumption during
pregnancy of 1.0 g or more per day was significantly positively
associated with the risk of PTB, but not LBW or SGA.
International
Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health - A
Prospective Cohort Study of Alcohol Exposure in Early and Late
Pregnancy within an Urban Population in Ireland
Most studies of
alcohol consumption in pregnancy have looked at one time point only,
often relying on recall. The aim of this longitudinal study was to
determine whether alcohol consumption changes in early and late
pregnancy and whether this affects perinatal outcomes.
PLOSone -
Detrimental Effects of Ethanol and Its Metabolite Acetaldehyde, on
First Trimester Human Placental Cell Turnover and Function
Fetal alcohol
spectrum disorder (FASD) describes developmental issues from high
maternal alcohol intake, which commonly results in fetal growth
restriction and long term morbidity. We aimed to investigate the
effect of alcohol and acetaldehyde, on the first trimester placenta,
the period essential for normal fetal organogenesis.
Alcoholism -
Administration of Memantine During Withdrawal Mitigates
Overactivity and Spatial Learning Impairments Associated with
Neonatal Alcohol Exposure in Rats
These data have
important implications for the treatment of EtOH's neurotoxic effects
and provide further support that ethanol withdrawal significantly
contributes to FASD.
Alcoholism -
Sensory-motor deficits in children with fetal alcohol spectrum
disorder assessed using a robotic virtual reality platform
The current study
has shown that robotic technology is a sensitive and powerful tool
that provides increased specificity regarding the type of motor
problems exhibited by children with FASD.
VIDEOS and
MATERIALS
Mofasorg - Love.
Hope. Joy. - 2014 Public Awareness Campaign
The Minnesota
Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (MOFAS) is spreading love,
hope and joy to moms everywhere in Minnesota by using these three
positive, uplifting and empowering words in a new advertising
campaign to talk about the serious issue of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum
Disorders (FASD).
YouManitoba - Café
Scientifique: Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder & a Need for a 21st
Century Human Rights Response
Worldwide, fetal
alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is the only disability of its type
that is considered 100 per cent preventable.
Susan Rich -
Introduction to the Better Safe Than Sorry project
As a board
certified psychiatrist, I have recently seen a 10th person with Fetal
Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) awaiting a possible death sentence
and work with a forensic psychologist who has evaluated approximately
60 of these individuals over the past several years.
World News -
Drinking while pregnant will soon be a crime
Women who put
their unborn babies at risk by drinking to excess during pregnancy
should be prosecuted, say activists.
Ackerman61 - Women
of Substance
A short film
exploring women and addiction. Exec. Producer: South Shore District
Health Authority, Producer: Nancy Ross.
IN OTHER LANGUAGES
Neue Nordhäuser
Zeitung (Germany) - BACHELORAND IM KMG REHA-ZENTRUM
Das KMG
Reha-Zentrum Südzhayn freut sich über einen weiteren erfolgreichen
Bacheloranden, der sich mit der Fatalen Alkoholspektrumsstörung, der
vorgeburtlich entstandenen Schädigung eines Kindes durch von der
schwangeren Mutter aufgenommenen Alkohol, wissenschaftlich
auseinander gesetzt hat.
Iltalehti
(Finland) - Kuntien säästöt voivat vaarantaa päihdeäitien
hoitoa
Kun Miina (nimi
muutettu) oli teini-ikäinen, hänen äitinsä ryyppäsi rajusti ja
odotti lasta. Miina asui isällään ja seurasi tilannetta
järkyttyneenä sivusta. Pikkusisko syntyi lopulta alkoholin
vammauttamana FAS-lapsena. Kehitysvamman näki jo vauvana kasvoista,
harittavista silmistä ja pienistä höröistä korvista.
West - Welfare
Society Territory (Italy) - Bere in gravidanza potrebbe diventare
un reato
È perseguibile
penalmente una donna incinta, che consuma tanto alcool da causare
danni al nascituro? Un dibattito che sta coinvolgendo media e
opinione pubblica britannici, in seguito alla controversia legale di
cui è protagonista una giovane madre. Prima condannata e poi assolta
per aver bevuto mentre era incinta della figlia. Nata con gravi danni
cerebrali.
