Holyrood (Scotland) - Child poverty - the missing link
One of Scotland’s strengths is our collective willingness to face our flaws, find them unacceptable, and, (eventually!) decide to replace ‘words with deeds’. Some of Scotland’s best minds, organisations and agencies are now creating a formidable set of links in the public, third sector and philanthropic chain of research, legislation, funding, policy, and action to reduce child poverty.
The Delta Discovery - How to Correct Behavior Related to FASD
We have adopted fraternal twins who were prenatally exposed to alcohol. Our son is quite intelligent and does well in kindergarten, however issues arise at home, where is almost constantly defiant and seems to always have an agenda.
Lethbridge News Now (Canada) - FASD expert says accused in manslaughter trial is “globally impaired”
According to the testimony of a defence expert, 56-year-old Jillian Across the Mountain suffers from significant brain damage as a result of her mother’s drinking during pregnancy.
Macleod Gazette Online (Canada) - No amount of alcohol safe for pregnant women
It’s time for Albertans to talk about alcohol and pregnancy. That’s the conversation Debbie Deak is initiating in her role with the South Alberta FASD Network.
Yorkton This Week - Short doc tackles FASD
A team of recent university graduates are bringing their intimate documentary to the Yorkton Film Festival (YFF) to compete for the Ruth Shaw Award.
The Spokesman-Review - Diagnosis, revelation steer EV Parent Partnership senior on road to success
“I had a lot of excuses that I could have used to quit,” Heath said recently. “Because of FASD, I’ve always had memory problems and struggled in math. When I was 14 or 15, I started running away and acting out, and my parents wanted clarification, so we went to a psychologist who gave us that diagnosis.
The Guardian (South Africa) - Township trauma: the terrible cost of drinking during pregnancy
In a dusty township in South Africa’s sun-drenched wine country, Charay Afrika says only one thing helped numb her through a turbulent relationship and two pregnancies: alcohol.
Brides - Should You Stop Drinking While Trying to Conceive?
Despite what you may have seen on Mad Men, it's well known by now that alcohol and pregnancy don’t mix. But what about alcohol before you’re actually pregnant? Is it safe to have your favorite cocktail while you're trying to conceive?
SteemKr - Childhood Diseases – A Sad & Unfortunately a Real Tragedy: Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
I decided to do this article a little differently because I am covering a very serious and tragic childhood disorder called Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. It is a very sad and, unfortunately, a very real situation that causes our children to be born into this world with challenges and multitudes of obstacles that they must meet each day of their lives.
DrinkTank (Australia) - Historic step towards FASD screening for young detainees
Following revelations of the high presence of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) in youth detention last year, on 9 May 2018, Shadow Minister for Families, Youth and Community Services Elizabeth Kikkert, called upon the ACT Government to screen detainees for FASD upon entering Canberra’s Bimberi Youth Justice Centre.
AdoptionUK (UK) - FASD conference: 100 pioneers
It was standing room only. 100 parents from all over the UK, with something very important in common: They were all raising children disabled by foetal alcohol spectrum disorders. This could have been a heavy and distressing day. But every one of these 100 people is a passionate advocate for their children, and a pioneer in the diagnosis and needs of children with FASD. So in fact, the day was inspiring and full of hope.
VIDEOS and MATERIALS
Saskatchewan Ministry of Education - Planning for Students with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
This document is intended to assist educators in meeting the needs of students who are affected by prenatal alcohol exposure. Across Saskatchewan, school personnel have been working to find the best approaches for meeting the needs of all students.
AandF Podcast - Podcast Special - Adoption UK’s FASD Scotland Conference
We were delighted to be invited by Adoption UK to attend their FASD conference in Scotland to record interviews with some of their speakers and attendees. FASD is an issue that is in most of our minds, and is becoming more and more recognised as an issue that affects families where children no longer live with their birth parents.
NOFAS UK (UK) - Hear Our Voices
A new report from the FASD UK Alliance – prepared by NOFAS-UK. Drawing on experiences of more than 50 individuals and families affected by FASD.
4 Paws for Keenan
UPCOMING
EUFASD - European Conference on FASD 2018 (September 24-26, Germany)
Registration is now open. The fee schedule is given below. Click on the relevant link below to be transferred to the FASD Deutschand site for registration and payment. If you have any questions about registration, contact the EUFASD Alliance or the FASD Deutschland team.
Occupational Therapy - WEBINAR: Occupational Therapy and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder - FASD (25th Jun 18, Australia)
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is the leading cause of preventable non-genetic developmental disability in Australia. FASD is a serious public health issue with more children being born with FASD then Autism Spectrum Disorder, Spina Bifida, Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome and SIDS combined.
Arkansas Association for Infant Mental Health - Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders 6th Annual Conference (September 20, USA)
The State Task Force on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD’s) is proud to announce the date for our 6th Annual Conference on FASD’s! This year’s conference will be held on September 20th (location to be determined). We are excited to have two very special speakers who can bring both the parent and professional perspectives to our attendees.
FASDinNC - Don’t Miss This Webinar on June 8th! FASD Prevalence and Maternal Risk Factors (June 8, 2018 USA)
Hosted by Tara Blackwood. Webinar is through NIH’s National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
RESEARCH
European Journal of Neuroscience - Lasting changes induced by mild alcohol exposure during embryonic development in BDNF, NCAM and synaptophysin positive neurons quantified in adult zebrafish
Given the evolutionary conservation across fish and mammals, we emphasize the implication of our current study for human health: even small amount of alcohol consumption may be unsafe during pregnancy.
Canadian Journal of Psychiatry - A Brief History of Awareness of the Link Between Alcohol and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
Our analysis provides a brief overview of the discourse regarding historical awareness of the detrimental effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on fetal development leading to the formal recognition of FASD as a distinct clinical entity.
Curtin University - Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder and Fine Motor Skills: A Population-based Study of Children in the Fitzroy Valley
Fine motor skills of 108 predominantly Aboriginal children in the remote Fitzroy Valley of Western Australia were evaluated as part of a population-prevalence study on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD).
Advances in Neurotoxicology - Developmental Neurotoxicity of Alcohol: Effects and Mechanisms of Ethanol on the Developing Brain
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) encompasses all the consequences of maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy in the offspring.
Canadian Journal of Psychiatry - The Standardization of Diagnostic Criteria for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD): Implications for Research, Clinical Practice and Population Health
Disagreement on the adoption of a standardised tool is reflective of existing gaps in research on the conditions and factors that influence fetal vulnerability to damage from exposure. This discordance has led to variability in research findings, inconsistencies in government messaging, and misdiagnoses or missed diagnoses.
Frontier in Endocrinology - Thyroid function in pregnant women with moderate to severe alcohol consumption is related to infant developmental outcomes
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) have an estimated global prevalence of 2-5% of births, but prevalence is reported to be as high as 15.5% for FASD in certain high-risk communities in South Africa.
Research in Developmental Disabilities - Mathematics intervention for children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder: A replication and extension of the math interactive learning experience (MILE) program
The replication and extension of the math intervention appears to have significant, positive impact on mathematics achievement scores of children with PAE and FASD.
Clinical Neurophysiology - Hemodynamic changes in the prefrontal cortex as measured by functional near-infrared spectroscopy and their relationships to neurobehavioral outcomes in children with FASD
Children with a history of PAE had unique characteristics in the relationships between the indices of PFC functioning and neurobehavioral problems that may be useful in differentiating alcohol-exposed children from typically developing children and those who have neurobehavioral problems not associated with PAE.
Alcoholism: Clinical and experimental research - Feasibility and acceptability of maternal choline supplementation in heavy drinking pregnant women: A randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled clinical trial
This study demonstrated that a choline supplementation program with very heavy drinkers during pregnancy is feasible even among highly disadvantaged, poorly educated women.
Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology - Prenatal alcohol exposure reduces 5-HT concentration in mouse intestinal muscle and mucosa
The influence of prenatal alcohol exposure on the serotoninergic system in the brain has been well studied, however its influence on the serotoninergic system in the gastrointestinal system remains unknown.
Acta Paediatrica - Children who face development risks due to maternal addiction during pregnancy require extra medical and psychosocial resources
Children born to women with addictions during pregnancy faced a high risk of developmental problems and should be offered additional CHS resources to minimise negative long‐term consequences.
Scientific reports - Prenatal alcohol exposure increases the susceptibility to develop aggressive prolactinomas in the pituitary gland
Excess alcohol use is known to promote development of aggressive tumors in various tissues in human patients, but the cause of alcohol promotion of tumor aggressiveness is not clearly understood.
Alcoholism - Efficacy of maternal choline supplementation during pregnancy in mitigating adverse effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on growth and cognitive function: A randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled clinical trial
This exploratory study is the first to provide evidence that a high dose of choline administered early in pregnancy can mitigate adverse effects of heavy prenatal alcohol exposure on EBC, postnatal growth, and cognition in human infants.
IN OTHER LANGUAGES
Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger (Germany) - Kölnerin zu Alkohol in Schwangerschaft „Ich vergesse, dass ich gegessen habe“
Mein Alltag läuft seit meiner Kindheit nur rund, wenn ich eine feste Struktur habe. Die brauche ich, weil ich einige Probleme habe. Zum Beispiel vergesse ich oft, dass ich vor kurzem schon was gegessen habe und esse dann noch einmal. Auch jeden Tag duschen zu gehen, fällt mir sehr schwer.“
Express.de (Germany) - Kind soll Alkohol-Krankheit haben Adoptiv-Mutter klagt auf 100.000 Euro Schadensersatz
Weil sie selbst keine Kinder bekommen kann, hatten sie und ihr Ehemann sich für eine Adoption entschieden und daraufhin 1998 über das Jugendamt des Kreises Euskirchen die damals einjährige Emily (alle Namen geändert) vermittelt bekommen.
folkehelseinstituttet (Norway) - Helse i svangerskap, fødsel og nyfødtperiode
Gravide kvinner i Norge lever jevnt over sunt og under gode materielle forhold. Gjennomsnittsalderen for fødende stiger stadig, og en økende andel barn kommer til verden etter assistert befruktning.
