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Sunday, March 4, 2012

FASD News - 9/2012


NEWS AND ARTICLES
Helsinkin Sanomat (Finland) - Ministry planning coerced treatment for substance-abusing pregnant women
Women who abuse intoxicants while pregnant could soon face the possibility of being put into treatment against their will - possibly through the entire duration of their pregnancy.
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The Republic (USA) - Alaska considers new approach to fetal alcohol problems among criminal court defendants
A proposal before the Alaska Legislature would give judges flexibility when handing down criminal sentences to people who were born with effects caused by their mother drinking during pregnancy.
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Scoop.co.nz (New Zealand) - Scandalous perpetuation of brain damage to children
Alcohol Healthwatch launched an on-line resource today to assist health professionals talk to their pregnant patients about alcohol.
CBC.ca (Canada) - New fetal alcohol disorder centre set for Moncton
The New Brunswick government and Family Service Moncton Inc. are creating a specialized centre to deal with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder in Moncton.
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Palate Pres - Light Drinking During Pregnancy: What Recent Studies Do — and Do Not — Tell Us
Those headlines are based on a new study by a team led by Dr. Haruna Feldman at the University of California, San Diego concerning the effects of alcohol on a developing fetus. “Study: No Amount of Alcohol During Pregnancy Safe,” one headline reads. “One Drink is Too Many,” another declares. Those headlines are based on the Feldman team’s conclusion, which says, “Women should continue to be advised to abstain from alcohol consumption from conception throughout pregnancy.”
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Native Times (USA) - One in four children born on the reservation suffer from fetal alcohol syndrome
Leaders of a South Dakota American Indian tribe who are suing beer makers, distributors and retailers are now asking a judge to restrict alcohol sales in a tiny Nebraska town that borders their reservation.
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The Australian (Australia) - New calls on booze and babies
WHEN Elizabeth Russell was eight months pregnant with her first child, her doctor advised her to have a few drinks to make sure the amniocentesis test he had just performed didn't bring on early labour.
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The West Australian (Australia) - Charge reckless mums: doctors' union
Doctors want the State Government to consider criminal penalties when unborn babies are negligently endangered in homebirths or by mothers who take drugs or drink excessively.
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ABC2 - Study pinpoints critical timeframe when alcohol can harm developing fetus
A new study shows even one drink during pregnancy can have the potential to hurt your developing baby.
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MATERIALS and RESOURCES
POPFASD - New eLearning Video - Cris Rowan - Movement, Attention & Learning
In this new eLearning video, Cris Rowan speaks about the importance of movement in improving our students' learning and attention.
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FASD – Finding Hope
The full documentary on the Finding Hope website is a wonderfully touching and informative resource highlighting the lives of several individuals with FASD and their families interspersed with commentary from professionals in the field.
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COMING UP
Webinar: Optimal Outcomes for Children with FASD
This first series of webinars focuses on advanced topics in Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. It has been developed with experienced clinicians, attorneys, child welfare, and social service professionals in mind.
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CAPHC National Screening Tool Kit for FASD:  Feedback and Input from Screening Tool Kit Users
CAPHC would now like to invite users of the Neurobehavioural Screening Tool (NST); the Youth Probation Officers Screening Tool and the Maternal Drinking Guide to join this webinar and share their experiences in using these tools. Your feedback and input is critical to determine the initial impact of the tools on various populations and jurisdictions.  All practitioners interested in the tools and their development are welcome to join.
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RESEARCH
The International Journal of Alcohol and Drug Research - Call for Papers: Special Issue on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders
The International Journal of Alcohol and Drug Research (IJADR) invites the submission of papers on biomedical, psychological, and sociological aspects related to Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), to be featured in this special issue to be published in September, 2013. Accepted papers will be published online prior to their inclusion in this special issue in order to make the research available more quickly.
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Maternal and Child Health Journal - A Prospective Study of Prevalence and Predictors of Concurrent Alcohol and Tobacco Use During Pregnancy
Concurrent drinking and smoking during pregnancy is a major public health concern. Changes in these behaviours are under-researched, although essential if effective interventions are to be implemented. Hence this paper investigated characteristics of women who decreased concurrent drinking and smoking during pregnancy.
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Alcohol and Alcoholism - Alcohol-Related Brain Damage: Report from a Medical Council on Alcohol Symposium, June 2010
The brain is particularly sensitive to the toxic effects of alcohol either directly, particularly in the foetus and young people, or in the context of malnutrition and thiamine deficiency leading to Wernicke–Korsakoff syndrome; or following repeated episodes of alcohol withdrawal.
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Information for Practice - Adaptive behaviour in children and adolescents with foetal alcohol spectrum disorders: a comparison with specific learning disability and typical development
Foetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) is a leading cause of intellectual disability in the western world. Children and adolescents with FASD are often exposed to a double burden in life, as their neurological sequelae are accompanied by adverse living surroundings exposing them to further environmental risk.

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