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Sunday, March 8, 2015

FASD News - 9/2015

Healthline - Is Fetal Alcohol Syndrome a Valid Criminal Defense?
Defendants with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders have used their conditions to argue for more lenient sentences, but some high-profile trials raise questions about the validity of this type of defense.
Alaska Dispatch News (USA) - State-funded pregnancy test dispensers debut in Anchorage
Inside the women’s bathroom at the Peanut Farm Bar and Grill, a dispenser hangs on the wall with a sign that reads: “Remember the last time you had sex?” The text below: “Take a pregnancy test before you drink tonight.”
Namibian (Namibia) - Alcohol syndrome orphans appeal for assistance
TWO children were born with deformities that can be blamed on their mother's drinking problem during pregnancy and now they have to live the rest of their lives with a condition known as alcohol syndrome.
Irish Medical Times (Ireland) - Even one is one too many — Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder
With levels of alcohol consumption during pregnancy suggesting Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder is significantly underdiagnosed in Ireland, Dr Irwin Gill and Prof Farhana Sharif examine the diagnosis and management of the condition ahead of a national survey of paediatricians.
Indianapolis Recorder - 'Golden' special needs runner inspires others
Peterson shared his moving story of how he went from a baby born with brain damage and a diagnosis of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) to becoming a three-time gold medalist in the Special Olympics.
Post-Bulletin (USA) - Bill seeks to expand help for moms struggling with addiction
In 2012, she got her third drunken driving conviction and spent a month in jail. Then she got pregnant. The Rochester mom-to-be enrolled in the Olmsted County's CRAFT program to get help staying sober while she was expecting.
Marketwired - Experts Spread Message About 'Preventable Birth Defects' on First-Ever World Birth Defects Day
"Many potentially devastating birth defects can be prevented," that's the message leading researchers in the field want the public to know as the world prepares for the inaugural "World Birth Defects Day," which will take place on Tuesday, March 3. The commemorative day is being spearheaded by international maternal and infant health advocates.
Growing Your Baby - Study: Even a Little Alcohol during Pregnancy Could Stop Some Growing Babies from Breathing
While most countries urge that pregnant women refrain from drinking any alcohol during pregnancy, there are still women that do. And, in the UK, women are actually told that they can continue drinking during pregnancy, as long as it’s not more than one or two units a week. But a new study, conducted by Professor Peter Hepper from Queen’s University Belfast, says that this simply isn’t okay, and that even half a glass of wine could cause a fetus to stop breathing and moving for as long as two hours.
Canada NewsWire (Canada) - A new Éduc'alcool publication in time for International Women's Day: Women under more pressure than men and more vulnerable to the effects of excessive drinking
Women are more vulnerable than men to the effects of alcohol because of differences in their weight and body composition, and the way they metabolize alcohol. However, social norms, not biology, are the primary reason why women who drink too much are more vulnerable to physical and sexual violence. These are the main conclusions of the latest publication in the Alcohol and Health series from Éduc'alcool, which is being released in time for International Women's Day.
ITV News - When Pregnant Women Drink: The families living with FASD
An ITV documentary investigating the impact of drinking alcohol in pregnancy exposes the challenges families face when a child develops Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD).
ChronicleLive (UK) - North East expectant mums should be warned against drinking any alcohol during pregnancy
Health bosses from across the North East today called on the Government to warn expectant mothers against drinking any alcohol during pregnancy.
Sowetan Live (South Africa) - More black moms-to-be boozing
ECONOMICALLY marginalised black women have been identified as a new risk group for drinking during pregnancy.
The Inquisitr (UK) - Pregnant? Half A Glass Of Wine Really Could Damage Your Baby, Experts Conclude
Pregnant women are routinely told that drinking a glass of wine a couple of times a week is perfectly safe for their developing child, but is this accurate? New research indicates that the safe level of alcohol (which includes wine) is zero.
Behavioral Health - Up to 5 Percent of Children Affected by Mothers’ Drinking, Study Finds
Nearly 5 percent of children in the U.S. may be affected by fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), a new study finds, a figure much higher than previously thought.
Government of Western Australia - Efforts to overcome fetal alcohol spectrum disorders
Researchers at Telethon Kids Institute are working with Aboriginal community leaders in the Fitzroy Valley to eradicate fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.

UPCOMING – Prevention Matters Conference 2015, Sept 30 – Oct 2

VIDEOS and MATERIALS
Daily Mail - Paediatrican claims alcohol worse than heroin for pregnancy
Close the Gap | James Fitzpatrick | TEDxPerth
This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences. James Fitzpatrick is a consultant paediatrician, researcher and entrepreneur. He established Patches Paediatrics to harness the creativity of private enterprise and the precision of science to address seemingly intractable health problems in Aboriginal communities.

RESEARCH
CAMH - The Burden and Economic Impact of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder in Canada
The current study aimed to estimate the overall burden and cost associated with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) in Canada in 2013. FASD is a group of disorders caused by prenatal alcohol exposure.
Acta Paediatrica - Children adopted from Poland display a high risk of foetal alcohol spectrum disorders and some may go undiagnosed
Children adopted from Central and Eastern Europe have often had negative early experiences, including prenatal exposure to alcohol. We examined a group of Polish children, adopted by Dutch parents, to see how many were diagnosed with foetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) and to what extent features of FASD were present.
Psychiatry Research - The effects of prenatal exposure to alcohol and environmental tobacco smoke on risk for ADHD: a large population-based study
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is caused by the interaction of genetic and environmental factors. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of prenatal exposure to alcohol and environmental tobacco smoke (ETS).
Physiology and Behavior - Prenatal exposure to vanilla or alcohol induces crawling after these odors in the neonate rat: the role of mu and kappa opioid receptor systems
Rat fetuses can perceive chemosensory stimuli derived from their mother's diet, and they may learn about those stimuli. In previous studies we have observed that prenatal exposure to alcohol during the last days of gestation increases the acceptance and liking of an alcohol flavor in infant and adolescent rats.
Physiology and Behavior - Neonatal sensitization to ethanol-induced breathing disruptions as a function of late prenatal exposure to the drug in the rat: modulatory effects of ethanol's chemosensory cues
Preclinical and clinical studies have systematically demonstrated abrupt changes in fetal respiratory patterns when the unborn organism is exposed to the effects of maternal ethanol intoxication. In subprimates, chronic exposure to this drug during gestation and infancy results in marked alterations of the plasticity of the respiratory network.
Physiology and Behavior - Prenatal alcohol exposure selectively enhances young adult perceived pleasantness of alcohol odors
Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) can lead to life-long neurobehavioral and social problems that can include a greater likelihood of early use and/or abuse of alcohol compared to older teens and young adults without PAE.
Physiology and Behavior - Objective assessment of ADHD core symptoms in children with heavy prenatal alcohol exposure
Attention deficits are often observed in children with prenatal alcohol exposure and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is commonly diagnosed in this population.
Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research - Dissecting FASD through the global transcriptome
Clinical Chemistry - Clinical sensitivity and specificity of meconium fatty acid ethyl ester, ethyl glucuronide, and ethyl sulfate for detecting maternal drinking during pregnancy
We investigated agreement between self-reported prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) and objective meconium alcohol markers to determine the optimal meconium marker and threshold for identifying PAE.
Human Brain Mapping - Volume changes and brain-behavior relationships in white matter and subcortical gray matter in children with prenatal alcohol exposure
Children with prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) may have cognitive, behavioral and brain abnormalities. Here, we compare rates of white matter and subcortical gray matter volume change in PAE and control children, and examine relationships between annual volume change and arithmetic ability, behavior, and executive function.
Physiology and Behavior - Endogenous opioids as substrates for ethanol intake in the neonatal rat: the impact of prenatal ethanol exposure on the opioid family in the early postnatal period
Despite considerable knowledge that prenatal ethanol exposure can lead to devastating effects on the developing fetus, alcohol consumption by pregnant women remains strikingly prevalent.
Physiology and Behavior - Prenatal alcohol exposure and adolescent stress increase sensitivity to stress and gonadal hormone influences on cognition in adult female rats
Abnormal activity of stress hormone (hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal [HPA]), and gonadal hormone (hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal [HPG]) systems is reported following prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE).
Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine - Effect of boric acid on oxidative stress in rats with fetal alcohol syndrome
To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study concerning the effect of boric acid (BA) administration on fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS).

IN OTHER LANGUAGES
Gezondheid.be (Belgium) - Het foetaal alcohol syndroom
Het foetaal alcohol syndroom (FAS) is een combinatie van aangeboren afwijkingen bij een baby die veroorzaakt zijn door alcoholgebruik van de moeder tijdens de zwangerschap.

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