Each year, CanFASD staff and researchers and committee members publish a list of our picks for the top FASD research articles published the previous year. The goal of this work is to highlight a fraction of the great work that is being done in this field.
The articles are selected by a group of CanFASD staff members, Research Leads, and members of our Family Advisory Committee. The group chooses research that aligns best with CanFASD’s areas of focus and that is generalizable to Canadians, can influence policy or practice, is groundbreaking, is newsworthy, and is scientifically rigorous. Articles on FASD prevention were not included in this list.
This year we searched over 750 articles. It was a challenge to narrow that number down into the 49 articles that are featured on this year’s top articles list. But, without further ado, here are the articles that we’ve chosen. The papers in bold are available open access.
Screening, Assessment, and Diagnosis
- Cook, J., Unsworth, K., & Flannigan K. (2021). Characterising fetal alcohol spectrum disorder in Canada: a national database protocol study. BMJ Open, 11(9), e046071. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2020-046071
- Grubb, M., Golden, A., Withers, A., Vellone, D., Young, A., & McLachlan, K. (2021). Screening approaches for identifying fetal alcohol spectrum disorder in children, adolescents, and adults: A systematic review. Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research, 45(8), 1527–1547. doi:10.111/acer.14657
- Reid, N., Hawkins, E., Liu, W., Page, M., Webster, H., Katsikitis, M., Shelton, D., Wood, A., O’Callaghan, F., Morrissey, S., & Shanley, D. (2021). Yarning about fetal alcohol spectrum disorder: Outcomes of a community-based workshop. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 108. doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2020.103810
- Temple, V. K., Prasad, S., Popova, S., & Linday, A. (2021) Long-term outcomes following fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) diagnosis in adulthood. Journal of Intellectual & Developmental Disability, 46(3), 272–280. doi:10.3109/13668250.2020.1824612
- Whittingham, L. M. & Coons-Harding, K. D. (2021). Connecting people with people: Diagnosing persons with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder using telehealth. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders,51(4), 1067–1080. doi:10.1007/s10803-020-04607-z
Clinical Presentation
- Gardiner, E., Hutchison, S. M., McLachlan, K., Rasmussen, C., Pei, J., Masse, L. C., Oberland, T. F., & Reynolds, J. N. (2021). Behavior regulation skills are associated with adaptive functioning in children and adolescents with prenatal alcohol exposure. Applied Neuropsychology: Child, 1–11. doi:10.1080/21622965.2021.1936528
- Kautz‐Turnbull, C. & Petrenko, C. L. M. (2021). A meta‐analytic review of adaptive functioning in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, and the effect of IQ, executive functioning, and age. Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research, 45(12), 2430–2447. doi:10.1111/acer.14728
- Kully-Martens, K., Pei, J., McNeil, A., & Rasmussen, C. (2021). Resilience resources and emotional and behavioral functioning among youth and young adults with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction. doi:10.1007/s11469-021-00652-6
- Popova, S., Temple, V., Dozet, D., O’Hanlon, G., Toews, C., & Rehm, J. (2021). Health, social and legal outcomes of individuals with diagnosed or at risk for fetal alcohol spectrum disorder: Canadian example. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 219:108487. doi:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2020.108487
- Reid, N., Hayes, N., Young, S. B., & Moritz, K. M. (2021). Caregiver-reported physical health status of children and young people with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease, 12(3), 420–427. doi:10.1017/s2040174420000537
Intervention
- Durr, M. R., Petryk, S., Mela, M., DesRoches, A., Wekerle, M., & Newaz, S. (2021). Utilization of psychotropic medications in children with FASD: A retrospective review. BMC Pediatrics, 21. doi:10.1186/s12887-021-02986-5
- Flannigan, K., Wrath, A. J., McFarlane, A., Murphy, L., & Rogozinski, L. (2021). Integrated service delivery in fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD): A review of the Alberta FASD Service Network Model. Journal on Developmental Disabilities, 26(2). doi:10.5281/zenodo.5711239
- Kapasi, A., Pei, J., Kryska, K., Joly, V., Gill, K., Thompson-Hodgetts, S., McLachlan, K., Andrew, G., & Rasmussen, C. (2021) Exploring self-regulation strategy use in adolescents with FASD. Journal of Occupational Therapy, Schools, & Early Intervention, 14(2), 184–206. doi:10.1080/19411243.2020.1822260
- Nieto-Fernández, Z., Vidal, R., Gómez-Barros, N., & Ramos-Quiroga, J. A. (2021). Psychological interventions on fetal alcohol spectrum disorder across the life span. Revue Neurologique, 72(5):168–176. doi:10.33588/rn.7205.2020639
- Pei, J. E., Poth, C., Tremblay, M., & Walker, M. (2021) An integrative systems approach to enhancing service delivery for individuals with complex needs. Current Developmental Disorders Reports, 8(2), 57–68. doi:10.1007/s40474-021-00223-3
Mental Health
- Flannigan, K., McMorris, C., Ewasiuk, A., Badry, D., Mela, M., Gibbard, W. B., Unsworth, K., Cook, J., Harding, K. D. (2021). Suicidality and associated factors among individuals assessed for fetal alcohol spectrum disorder across the lifespan in Canada. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry. doi:10.1177/07067437211053288
*Prevention and Maternal/Parental Health
*Note: The pNAT creates an annual annotated bibliography of articles on FASD prevention from around the world, organized by all the levels of prevention: https://canfasd.ca/topics/prevention/. The following Canadian studies were identified in the current search and are likely to be in the longer pNAT list when it is completed.
- Harding, K. D., Whittingham, L., & McGannon, K. (2021). #sendwine: An analysis of motherhood, alcohol use, and #winemom culture on Instagram. Substance Abuse: Research and Treatment, 15, 1-9. doi:10.1177/11782218211015195
- Hubberstey, C., Rutman, D., Van Bibber, M., & Poole N. (2021) Wraparound programmes for pregnant and parenting women with substance use concerns in Canada: Partnerships are essential. Health and Social Care in the Community. doi:10.1111/hsc.13664
- Lyall, V., Wolfson, L., Reid, N., Poole, N., Moritz, K. M., Egert, S., … Askew, D. A. (2021) “The problem is that we hear a bit of everything…”: A qualitative systematic review of factors associated with alcohol use, reduction, and abstinence in pregnancy. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(7), 3445. doi:10.3390/ijerph18073445
- Wolfson, L., Schmidt, R. A., Stinson, J., & Poole, N. (2021). Examining barriers to harm reduction and child welfare services for pregnant women and mothers who use substances using a stigma action framework. Health and Social Care in the Community, 29(3), 589-601. doi:10.1111/hsc.13335
Child Welfare
- Burns, J., Badry, D. E., Harding, K. D., Roberts, N., Unsworth, K., Cook, J. L. (2021) Comparing outcomes of children and youth with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) in the child welfare system to those in other living situations in Canada: Results from the Canadian National FASD Database. Child: Care, Health and Development, 47(1), 77–84. doi:10.1111/cch.12817
- Gilbert, D. J., Mukherjee, R. A. S., Kassam, N., & Cook, P. A. (2021). Exploring the experiences of social workers in working with children suspected to have fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. Adoption & Fostering, 45(2), 155–172. doi:10.1177/03085759211011735
- Marcellus, L. & Badry, D. (2021). Infants, children, and youth in foster care with prenatal substance exposure: A synthesis of two scoping reviews. International Journal of Developmental Disabilities. doi:10.1080/20473869.2021.1945890
Caregivers and Families
- Balcaen, L., Santos, R., Roger, K., & Mignone, J. (2021). Families with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders: Exploring adoptive parents’ experiences of family well-being. Adoption & Fostering,45(3):283–299. doi:10.1177/03085759211050044
- Drotsky, L., Sonday, A., & Gretschel, P. (2021). Photo-elicited interviews: A method to create open communication for mothers raising children with foetal alcohol spectrum disorder. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 20. doi:10.1177/16094069211040980
- Petrenko, C. L. M., Kautz-Turnbull, C. C., Roth, A. R., Parr, J. E., Tapparella, C., Demir, U., & Olson, H. C. (2021). Initial feasibility of the “Families Moving Forward Connect” mobile health intervention for caregivers of children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders: Mixed method evaluation within a systematic user-centered design approach. JMIR Formative Research, 5(12):e29687. doi:10.2196/29687
- Weinmann, T., Moder, J. E., Ordenewitz, L. K., Schlueter, J., Jung, J., Kerer, K., … Landgraf, M. N. (2021). Assessing the needs of caregivers of children and adolescents with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders: Results from a survey among families and professionals in Germany. European Journal of Paediatric Neurology, 33, 1–8. doi:10.1016/j.ejpn.2021.04.008
Justice
- Dickson, J. & Stewart, M. (2021). Risk, rights, and deservedness: Navigating the tensions of Gladue, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and settler colonialism in Canadian courts. Behavioral Sciences & the Law. doi:10.1002/bsl.2536
- Flannigan, K., Tremblay, M., Potts, S., Nelson, M., Brintnell, S., O’Riordan, T., Rasmussen, C., & Pei, J. (2021). Understanding the needs of justice-involved adults with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder in an Indigenous community. Behavioral Sciences & the Law. doi:10.1002/bsl.2554
- Hashmi, S., Richards, D., & Fedoroff, J. P. (2021). A descriptive analysis of sentencing decisions by the Canadian criminal justice system of people with intellectual disabilities convicted with sexual offences. International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, 78, doi:10.1016/j.ijlp.2021.101730
- Khalifa, N., Magee, T., Shirazi, S., Salman, S., Yang, C., & Mela, M. (2021). The neurocognitive profiles of justice involved people with foetal alcohol spectrum disorder: A systematic review. Behavioral Sciences & the Law. doi:10.1002/bsl.2550
- Russell, N. K., Tan, K. Y., Pestell, C. F., Connor, S., & Fitzpatrick, J. P. (2021) Therapeutic Recommendations in the youth justice system cohort diagnosed with foetal alcohol spectrum disorder. Youth Justice. doi:10.1177/14732254211036195
Socio-Political, Ethical, and Policy-Related
- Aspler, J., Bogossian, A., & Racine, E. (2021). “It’s ignorant stereotypes”: Key stakeholder perspectives on stereotypes associated with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, alcohol, and pregnancy. Journal of Intellectual & Developmental Disability, 47(1), 53-64. doi:10.3109/13668250.2020.1865649
- Dunbar Winsor, K. (2021). An invisible problem: Stigma and FASD diagnosis in the health and justice professions. Advances in Dual Diagnosis, 14(1), 8–19. doi:10.1108/add-07-2020-0014
- Flannigan, K., Wrath, A. J., Ritter, C., McLachlan, K., Harding, K. D., Campbell, A., Reid, D., & Pei, J. (2021). Balancing the story of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder: A narrative review of the literature on strengths. Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research, 45(12), 2448–2464. doi:10.1111/acer.14733
- Olson, H. C. & Sparrow, J. (2021). A shift in perspective on secondary disabilities in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research, 45(5), 916–921. doi:10.1111/acer.14586
- Yousefi, N. & Chaufan, C. (2021). “Think before you drink”: Challenging narratives on foetal alcohol spectrum disorder and indigeneity in Canada. Health. doi:10.1177.13634593211038527
Basic and Brain Science
- Grimm, J., Stemmler, M., Golub, Y. Schwenke, E., Goecke, T. W., Fasching, P. A., … Eichler, A. (2021). The association between prenatal alcohol consumption and preschool child stress system disturbance. Developmental Psychobiology, 63(4), 687–697. doi:10.1002/dev.22038
- Kar, P., Reynolds, J. E., Grohs, M. N., Gibbard, W. B., McMorris, C., Tortorelli, C., & Lebel, C. (2021). White matter alterations in young children with prenatal alcohol exposure. Developmental Neurobiology, 81(4), 400–410. doi:10.1002/dneu.22821
- Lebel, C. A., Gibbard, W. B., Tortorelli, C., Pei, J., Beaulieu, Bagshawe, M., & McMorris, C. A. (2021). Prenatal Exposure And Child brain and mental Health (PEACH) study: Protocol for a cohort study of children and youth with prenatal alcohol exposure. BMJ Open, 11(5), e051660. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2021-051660
- O’Neill, J., O’Connor, M. J., Kalender, G., Ly, R., Ng, A., Dillon, A. … Levitt, J. G. (2021). Combining neuroimaging and behavior to discriminate children with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder with and without prenatal alcohol exposure. Brain Imaging and Behavior, 16, 69-77. doi:10.1007/s11682-021-00477-w
- Okazaki, S., Otsuka, I., Shinko, Y., Horai, T., Hirata, T., Yamaki, N., … Hishimoto, A. (2021). Epigenetic clock analysis in children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research, 45(2), 329–337. doi:10.1111/acer.14532
Animal
- Creutzberg, K. C., Sanson, A., Viola, T. W., Marchisella, F., Begni, V., Grassi-Oliveira, R., & Riva, M. A. (2021). Long-lasting effects of prenatal stress on HPA axis and inflammation: A systematic review and multilevel meta-analysis in rodent studies. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 127, 270–283. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.04.032
- Rodriguez, C. I., Vergara, V. M., Davies, S., Calhoun, V. D., Savage, D. D., Hamilton, D. A. (2021). Detection of prenatal alcohol exposure using machine learning classification of resting-state functional network connectivity data. Alcohol, 93, 25–34. doi:10.1016/j.alcohol.2021.03.001
Prevalence
- Cook, J. L. (2021). Alcohol use during pregnancy and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder in Canada: who, what, where? Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention in Canada: Research, Policy and Practice, 41(9), 264–266. doi:10.24095/hpcdcp.41.9.03
- May P. A., Hasken, J. M., Hooper, S. R. Hedrick, D. M., Jackson-Newsom, J., Mullis, C. E., … Hoyme, H. E. (2021). Estimating the community prevalence, child traits, and maternal risk factors of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) from a random sample of school children. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 227, 108918. doi:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2021.108918
- May, P. A., Hasken, J. M., Manning, M. A., & Hoyme, H. E. (2021). The challenges and pitfalls of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders prevalence studies. Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research, 45(12), 2468–2470. doi:10.1111/acer. 14735
- Palmeter, S., Probert, A., & Lagacé, C. (2021). FASD prevalence among children and youth: Results from the 2019 Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth. Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention in Canada: Research, Policy and Practice, 41(9), 272–276. doi:10.24095/hpcdp.41.9.05
- Pei, J., Reid-Westoby, C., Siddiqua, A., Elshamy, Y., Rorem, D., Bennet, T. … Janus, M. (2021). Teacher-reported prevalence of FASD in kindergarten in Canada: Association with child development and problems at home. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 51(2), 433–443. doi:10.1007/s10803-020-04545-w