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New FASD Research: December 2020

Here is a brief summary of some of the latest research published on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD).

Prevention

Differential Effects of Maternal Diets on Birth Outcomes and Metabolic Parameters in Rats After Ethanol Consumption during Pregnancy

Maternal nutrition plays an important role in the development of FASD, but researchers have a limited understanding of how exactly this occurs. The researchers in this study looked at birth outcomes from four different groups of pregnant rats: those with standard diets; those with standard diets and alcohol exposure; those with high energy diets; and those with high energy diets and alcohol exposure. They found that:

Take home message: More research is needed to understand the full impact of maternal diets on humans with prenatal alcohol exposure, but researchers of this study suggest that interventions targeting maternal nutrition could potentially mitigate some of the effects of FASD.

Wang, Y., Feltham, B., Eskin, M., & Suh, M. (2020). Differential Effects of Maternal Diets on Birth Outcomes and Metabolic Parameters in Rats After Ethanol Consumption during Pregnancy. British Journal of Nutrition, 1-25. doi:10.1017/S0007114520005152

More Prevention Research:

Prenatal Care Outcomes in Women with Substance Use Disorders: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Commentary: Pregnancy, partners, and alcohol warning labels (open-access)


Diagnosis

Use of Telemedicine for the Physical Examination of Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD)

In most FASD assessment clinics, an FASD diagnosis typically requires that an individual’s physical features, neurobehavioral functioning, and history of prenatal alcohol exposure are assessed by a team of experts. However, there are limited numbers of FASD diagnostic experts in the United States. In this study, researchers explored the use of telemedicine as a means of assessing physical features for FASD. They conducted examinations of 61 individuals using two digital technologies and compared these results to those of face-to-face examinations. They found that:

Take home message: Telemedicine can be a valid and reliable method of examining the physical features of FASD and may allow for greater FASD diagnostic capacity, particularly in regions where diagnostic expertise is limited.

Del Campo, M., Beach, D., Wells, A. & Jones, K. L. (2020). Use of Telemedicine for the Physical Examination of Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). Alcohol Clin Exp Res., Online ahead of print. doi: 10.1111/acer.14533.

More Diagnosis Research

Fatty acid ethyl esters in meconium and substance use in adolescence

Evolution of the Physical Phenotype of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders from Childhood through Adolescence


Intervention

Health, social and legal outcomes of individuals with diagnosed or at risk for fetal alcohol spectrum disorder: Canadian example (Open Access)

Individuals with FASD experience high rates of adverse outcomes. It is important to understand the factors influencing these outcomes in order to create targeted solutions. Researchers in this study looked at the characteristics and challenges of a cohort of individuals with or at-risk for FASD in British Columbia. They found that:

Take home message: Comprehensive services, including mental health and substance use programming, are needed to support positive outcomes for individuals diagnosed with or at-risk for FASD. Targeted efforts may be especially important for those involved with the child welfare and criminal justice systems.

Popova, S., Temple, V., Dozet, D., O’Hanlon, G., Toews, C., & Rehm, J. (2020). Health, social and legal outcomes of individuals with diagnosed or at risk for fetal alcohol spectrum disorder: Canadian example. Drug and Alcohol Dependence. Online ahead of print. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2020.108487

More Intervention Research

An fMRI investigation of neural activation predicting memory formation in children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (open access)

Executive and Social Functioning Across Development in Children and Adolescents with Prenatal Alcohol Exposure

Epigenetic Clock Analysis in Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.

Completed secondary education among youth with prenatal substance exposure: A longitudinal register-based matched cohort study (open access)


Justice

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder and Neurodevelopmental Disorders: An International Practice Survey of Forensic Mental Health Clinicians

Individuals with FASD are overrepresented in the criminal justice system. The researchers of this study surveyed 81 forensic clinicians to understand their experiences in providing services to clients with FASD and other neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD). They found that:

Take home message: Additional research, training, and policy consideration is needed to develop evidence-based FASD practice resources and recommendations for professionals in forensic settings.

McLachlan, K., Mullally, K., Ritter, C., Mansfield, M., & Pei, J. (2020). Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and neurodevelopmental disorders: an international practice survey of forensic mental health clinicians. International Journal of Forensic Mental Health. doi: 10.1080/14999013.2020.1852342

More Justice Research

Parents With Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Within Canada’s Child Protection Trials


Family Collaboration

Selecting and Using Children’s Books with Authentic Representations of Characters with Developmental Disabilities (Open Access)

Providing kids with books that include characters with diverse abilities is a creative and valuable way to challenge societal perceptions of those with disabilities. It is important that these books showcase individuals with disabilities in an authentic, inclusive, and respectful way without contributing to stereotypes and stigma. The researchers of this study explored 47 books featuring characters with developmental disabilities to understand how these characters are portrayed. They found that:

Take home message: Books offer an important opportunity for children to learn about the world. This research provides a great baseline for parents and caregivers to use to expose their children to accurate, positive, and realistic portrayals of individuals with disabilities.

Taylor, T., Moss, K., Brundage, K. E., and Prater, M. A. (2020). Selecting and Using Children’s Books with Authentic Representations of Characters with Developmental Disabilities. DADD Online Journal, 7(1), 10-30.


This blog is intended to provide a summary of some of the recent literature on FASD. For a more complete and nuanced understanding of these findings, read the full research papers. Please note that this is not a comprehensive list of all research published on FASD in December 2020; it is a snapshot of some of the articles most relevant to the CanFASD priority areas.

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