Top FASD Articles of 2023

The articles below were selected by a group of Canada FASD Research Network (CanFASD) staff, Research Leads, and Family Advisory Committee members to highlight some of the work that has been published over the last year in the field of FASD. A search of Web of Science, PubMed, PsycInfo, CINAHL, Ovid Medline databases, and a manual search of selected scientific journals yielded over 551 unique articles published in 2023 on FASD and prenatal alcohol exposure. Many of these were excellent publications and the final list was narrowed down to focus on CanFASD’s areas of emphasis in FASD, categorized below. Additional considerations for what constituted the “top” articles included:

  • Generalizability to Canadians
  • Influence on practice or policy
  • Novelty
  • Scientific rigour
  • Media attention

Final selections were categorized by area of focus and limited to a maximum of five articles per category. All articles are published in peer-reviewed journals. They are arranged in alphabetical order by first author’s surname, and those in bold are available in open access.

This year, we again excluded articles on maternal health and the prevention of FASD. Annually, the prevention Network Action Team (pNAT) creates an annotated bibliography of articles on maternal health and FASD prevention from around the world, organized by all the levels of prevention. The annotated bibliography is released in the spring of each year and can be found following the link: https://canfasd.ca/topics/prevention/

Assessment, Diagnosis, and Clinical Presentation

  1. Flannigan, K., et al. (2023). Sex-related differences among individuals assessed for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder in Canada. Alcohol, Clinical & Experimental Research, 47(3); 613–623. https://doi.org/10.1111/acer.15017
  2. Gault, S. et al. (2023). Transitions into adulthood for people with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: A scoping review of promising practices. Children and Youth Services Review, 155. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2023.107239
  3. Hayes, N. et al. (2023). Lived experiences of the diagnostic assessment process for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: A systematic review of qualitative evidence. Alcohol, Clinical & Experimental Research, 47(7); 1209–1223. https://doi.org/10.1111/acer.15097
  4. Kautz-Turnbull, C. et al. (2023). Adverse childhood experiences in children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders and their effects on behavior. Alcohol, Clinical & Experimental Research, 47(3); 577–588. https://doi.org/10.1111/acer.15010
  5. McLachlan, K. et al. (2023). Latent classes of neurodevelopmental profiles and needs in children and adolescents with prenatal alcohol exposure. Alcohol, Clinical & Experimental Research, 47(4); 772–785. https://doi.org/10.1111/acer.15028

Interventions

  1. Champagne, M. et al. (2023). A tornado in the family: Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder and aggression during childhood and adolescence: A scoping review. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 17; 1176695. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2023.1176695
  2. Cox, L. V. (2023). The Eastern Door Center: Re-balancing the wheel: A Two-Eyed Seeing approach to FASD and other disorders related to transgenerational adversity. Frontiers in Sociology, 8; 910153. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsoc.2023.910153
  3. Flannigan, K. et al. (2023). Client perceptions of an FASD-informed Indigenous Restorative Justice Program. The International Indigenous Policy Journal, 14(2). https://doi.org/10.18584/iipj.2023.14.2.14843
  4. Kalberg, W. et al. (2023). Relationship-based intervention for children who were prenatally alcohol exposed in South Africa. Research in Developmental Disabilities. 136. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2023.104479
  5. Vidal, R. et al. (2023). Dog-assisted therapy vs relaxation for children and adolescents with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: A randomized controlled study. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-023-06023-5

Mental Health

  1. Bodnar, T. S. et al. (2023). Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on adults with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: Linking immune function to mental health status. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 17; 1214100. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2023.1214100
  2. Chandler-Mather, N. et al. (2023). Understanding the impacts of childhood adversity on sleep problems in children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: A comparison of cumulative and dimensional approaches. Alcohol, Clinical & Experimental Research, 47(9); 1702–1712. https://doi.org/10.1111/acer.15152
  3. Nakhid, D. et al. (2023). Limbic brain subregions associated with mental health symptoms in youth with and without prenatal alcohol exposure. Alcohol, Clinical & Experimental Research, 47(11); 2033-2044. https://doi.org/10.1111/acer.15181
  4. Rockhold, M. N. et al. (2023). The trauma experiences of children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders: Developmental outcomes utilizing a threat/deprivation child adversity framework. Alcohol, Clinical & Experimental Research, 47(9); 1722–1735. https://doi.org/10.1111/acer.15144

Child Welfare

  1. Marcellus, L., & Badry, D. (2023). Infants, children, and youth in foster care with prenatal substance exposure: A synthesis of two scoping reviews. International Journal of Developmental Disabilities, 69(2); 265–290. https://doi.org/10.1080/20473869.2021.1945890
  2. Olson, H. et al. (2023). Bringing FASD-informed care to child welfare: An efficient community model for FASD assessment and consultation. Child Welfare, 101(3); 77–105. ABSTRACT
  3. Richards, T. et al. (2023). Challenges and opportunities to care for children in child welfare with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders while working toward preserving their families. Child Welfare, 101(3); 209–234. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10716829/
  4. Williams, R., & Badry, D. (2023). Aboriginal kinship carers and children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder in Western Australia: Advancing knowledge from an Indigenous and disability lens. First Peoples Child & Family Review, 18(1), 60–80. https://fpcfr.com/index.php/FPCFR/article/view/603

Caregivers and Families

  1. Ilchena, C., Slayen, C., Rennie, S., Cheung, K., Gaulke, T., & Theule, J. (2023). Parenting stress and FASD: A scoping review. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 137, 104498. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2023.104498

Justice

  1. Mullally, K. et al. (2023). Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder evidence in Canadian criminal cases: A case law review. Psychology Public Policy and Law, 29(4); 417-434. https://doi.org/10.1037/law0000391
  2. Nankoo, M. M. A. et al. (2023). Scoping review of employment resources for individuals with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder and justice involvement. BMJ Open, 13(2); e063860. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2022-063860

Socio-Political, Ethical, and Policy-Related

  1. Wilson, H. et al. (2023). Lived experience of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: A qualitative scoping review. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology. https://doi.org/10.1111/dmcn.15761

Animal / Brain / Brain Science

  1. Beaulieu, D., et al. (2023). Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in individuals with prenatal alcohol exposure. CJC Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease, 2(3); 150–161. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cjcpc.2023.03.005
  2. Candelaria-Cook, F. T., et al. (2023). Disrupted dynamic functional network connectivity in Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. Alcohol, Clinical & Experimental Research, 47(4); 687–703. https://doi.org/10.1111/acer.15046

Statistics / Prevalence

  1. Tran, E., et al. (2023). Systematic review: Polysubstance prevalence estimates reported during pregnancy, US, 2009-2020. Maternal And Child Health Journal, 27(3); 426–458. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-023-03592-w

Education

  1. Harvey, H., et al. (2023). Parent views on the educational experience of students with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders: Advocacy, Inclusion, and collaboration. Children And Youth Services Review, 155. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2023.107192
  2. Kautz-Turnbull, C., et al. (2023). Teachers’ needs for an FASD-informed resource: A qualitative interview needs assessment based on the ADAPT-ITT framework. Psychology In The Schools. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.23110

Physical Health

  1. Johnston, D., et al. (2023). Pattern of visual-motor integration, visual perception, and fine motor coordination abilities in children being assessed for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, 44(7); e463–e469. https://doi.org/10.1097/DBP.0000000000001200
  2. Khawer, M. S. & Da Silva, K. (2023). The oral health-related quality of life for individuals with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder—A cross-sectional study. BMC Oral Health, 23(1), 822. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12903-023-03577-9
  3. Marquis, S., et al. (2023). Population level administrative data evidence of visits to the emergency department by youth with intellectual/developmental disabilities in BC, Canada. The American Journal of Emergency Medicine, 69; 52–57. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajem.2023.04.006