Top FASD Articles of 2022

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 250 unique articles published in 2022 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

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 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, 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. Coles, C. D., Bandoli, G., Kable, J. A., Campo, M. D., Suttie, M., & Chambers, C. D. (2022). Comparison of three systems for the diagnosis of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders in a community sample. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. https://doi.org/10.1111/acer.14999 Abstract
  2. Gardiner, E., Hutchison, S. M., McLachlan, K., Rasmussen, C., Pei, J., Mâsse, L. C., Oberlander, T. F., & Reynolds, J. N. (2022). Behavior regulation skills are associated with adaptive functioning in children and adolescents with prenatal alcohol exposure. Applied Neuropsychology: Child, 11(4), 691–701. https://doi.org/10.1080/21622965.2021.1936528
  3. Hammond, L., Joly, V., Kapasi, A., Kryska, K., Andrew, G., Oberlander, T. F., Pei, J., & Rasmussen, C. (2022). Adaptive behavior, sleep, and physical activity in adolescents with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 131, 104366. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2022.104366
  4. Joseph, J. J., Mela, M., & Pei, J. (2022). Aggressive behaviour and violence in children and adolescents with FASD: A synthesizing review. Clinical Psychology Review, 94, 102155. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2022.102155

Intervention

  1. Betts, J. L., Eggins, E., Chandler‐Mather, N., Shelton, D., Till, H., Harnett, P., & Dawe, S. (2022). Interventions for improving executive functions in children with Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD): A systematic review. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 18(4), 1–65. https://doi.org/10.1002/cl2.1258 (Free Full Text)
  2. Flannigan, K., Pei, J., McLachlan, K., Harding, K., Mela, M., Cook, J., Badry, D., & McFarlane, A. (2022). Responding to the unique complexities of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 778471. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.778471 (Free Full Text)
  3. Joly, V., Harding, K., & Pei, J. (2022). Towards Healthy Outcomes for individuals with FASD: Journal of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, 4(SP1). https://doi.org/10.22374/jfasd.v4iSP1.20 (Free Full Text)
  4. Wrath, A., Mela, M., Le, T., Durr, M., DesRoches, A., Nomani, S., Anderson, T., Unsworth, K., & Cook, J. (2022). Psychotropic Medication Usage in Individuals with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) and Psychiatric Co-morbidities in Canada. Journal of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, 4(SP1). https://doi.org/10.22374/jfasd.v4iSP1.21 (Free Full Text)

Mental Health

  1. Coles, C. D., Grant, T. M., Kable, J. A., Stoner, S. A., & Perez, A. (2022). Prenatal alcohol exposure and mental health at midlife: A preliminary report on two longitudinal cohorts. Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, 46(2), 232–242. https://doi.org/10.1111/acer.14761
  2. Flannigan, K., McMorris, C., Ewasiuk, A., Badry, D., Mela, M., Gibbard, W. B., Unsworth, K., Cook, J., & Harding, K. D. (2022). Suicidality and associated factors among individuals assessed for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder across the lifespan in Canada. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 67(5), 361–370. https://doi.org/10.1177/07067437211053288 (Free Full Text)
  3. Flannigan, K., Wrath, A. J., Badry, D. E., McMorris, C. A., Ewasiuk, A., Campbell, A., & Harding, K. D. (2022). Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder and suicidality: What does the literature tell us? Journal of Mental Health Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 15(3), 217–252. https://doi.org/10.1080/19315864.2022.2082604
  4. Nakhid, D., McMorris, C. A., Sun, H., Gibbard, B., Tortorelli, C., & Lebel, C. (2022a). Brain iron and mental health symptoms in youth with and without prenatal alcohol exposure. Nutrients, 14(11), 2213. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14112213 (Free Full Text)

Child Welfare

  1. Badry, D., Marcellus, L., & Choate, P. (2022). An intersectionality-based policy analysis of Canadian Child Advocate Reviews of infants, children and youth with prenatal substance exposure and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder in child welfare care. Journal of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, 4(SP1), Article SP1. https://doi.org/10.22374/jfasd.v4iSP1.11 (Free Full Text)
  2. Richards, T., Bertrand, J., Newburg-Rinn, S., McCann, H., Morehouse, E., & Ingoldsby, E. (2022). Children prenatally exposed to alcohol and other drugs: What the literature tells us about child welfare information sources, policies, and practices to identify and care for children. Journal of Public Child Welfare, 16(1), 71–94. https://doi.org/10.1080/15548732.2020.1814478 (Free Full Text)
  3. Tan, G. K. Y., Symons, M., Fitzpatrick, J., Connor, S. G., Cross, D., & Pestell, C. F. (2022). Adverse childhood experiences, associated stressors and comorbidities in children and youth with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder across the justice and child protection settings in Western Australia. BMC Pediatrics, 22(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-022-03654-y (Free Full Text)

Caregivers and Families

  1. Clement, A. L., Harding, K. D., & Watson, S. L. (2022). ‘It’s rewarding because I get the love’: Grandparents raising grandchildren with Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. Child & Family Social Work. https://doi.org/10.1111/cfs.12970
  2. Harding, K. D., Turner, K., Howe, S. J., Bagshawe, M. J., Flannigan, K., Mela, M., McMorris, C. A., & Badry, D. (2022). Caregivers’ experiences and perceptions of suicidality among their children and youth with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 13, 931528. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.931528 (Free Full Text)
  3. McCarthy, R., Blackburn, C., Mukherjee, R., Fleming, K., Allely, C., Kirby, L., & Cook, P. A. (2022). `I’m always up against a brick wall with them’: Parents’ experiences of accessing support for their child with a newly recognised developmental disorder. British Journal of Special Education, 49(1), 41–63. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8578.12398 (Free Full Text)
  4. Redquest, B., McKenzie, L., Lake, J., Fung, K., & Lunsky, Y. (2022). A comparison of the demographic and clinical characteristics of caregivers of Autistic children and caregivers of children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. Journal of Mental Health Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 15(2), 151–167. https://doi.org/10.1080/19315864.2022.2047845
  5. Reid, N., Crawford, A., Petrenko, C., Julie, H. C. K., & Olson. (2022). A family-directed approach for supporting individuals with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. Current Developmental Disorders Reports, 9(1), 9–18. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40474-021-00241-1

Justice

  1. Dickson, J. & Stewart, M. (2022). Risk, rights and deservedness: Navigating the tensions of Gladue, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder and settler colonialism in Canadian courts. Behavioral Sciences and the Law, 40(1), 14–30. https://doi.org/10.1002/bsl.2536 (Free Full Text)
  2. Flannigan, K., Tremblay, M., Potts, S., Nelson, M., Brintnell, S., O’Riordan, T., Rasmussen, C., & Pei, J. (2022). Understanding the needs of justice-involved adults with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder in an Indigenous community. Behavioral Sciences & the Law, 40(1), 129–143. https://doi.org/10.1002/bsl.2554 (Free Full Text)
  3. Khalifa, N., Magee, T., Shirazi, S., Salman, S., Yang, C. C., & Mela, M. (2022). The neurocognitive profiles of justice involved people with Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: A systematic review. Behavioral Sciences and the Law, 40(1), 87–111. https://doi.org/10.1002/bsl.2550 (Free Full Text)
  4. Mela, M., Wall, L., Buttinger, P., DesRoches, A., & Wrath, A. J. (2022). Rates and implications of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder among released offenders with mental disorder in Canada. Behavioral Sciences & the Law, 40, 144–158. https://doi.org/10.1002/bsl.2557 (Free Full Text)

Socio-Political, Ethical, and Policy-Related

  1. Aspler, J., Harding, K. D., & Cascio, M. A. (2022). Representation matters: Race, gender, class, and intersectional representations of Autistic and disabled characters on television. Studies in Social Justice, 16(2), 323–348. https://doi.org/10.26522/ssj.v16i2.2702 (Free Full Text)
  2. Choate, P., Badry, D., & Bagley, K. (2022). The alcohol industry and social responsibility: Links to FASD. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(13). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19137744 (Free Full Text)
  3. McCormack, J. C., Chu, J. T. W., Marsh, S., & Bullen, C. (2022). Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder in health, justice, and education professionals: A systematic review. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 131, 104354. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2022.104354
  4. Reid, D., Beland, W., Richardson, L., & Flannigan, K. (2022). What if? Incorporating the voices of those with lived experience to change the focus of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder research. Journal of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, 4(SP1). https://doi.org/10.22374/jfasd.v4iSP1.16 (Free Full Text)
  5. Reid, D., Brownstone, L., Stewart, M., Schofield, N., & Pitawanakwat, R. (2022). Nothing about us without us: Journal of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, 4(SP1). https://doi.org/10.22374/jfasd.v4iSP1.14 (Free Full Text)

Animal, Brain, and Basic Science

  1. Das, U., Gangisetty, O., Chaudhary, S., Tarale, P., Rousseau, B., Price, J., Ian, D. K. F., & Sarkar. (2022). Epigenetic insight into effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on stress axis development: Systematic review with meta-analytic approaches. Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research. https://doi.org/10.1111/acer.14972 (Full Free Text)
  2. Kar, P., Reynolds, J. E., Gibbard, W. B., McMorris, C., Tortorelli, C., & Lebel, C. (2022). Trajectories of brain white matter development in young children with prenatal alcohol exposure. Human Brain Mapping, 43(13), 4145–4157. https://doi.org/10.1002/hbm.25944 (Full Free Text)
  3. Lebel, C. & Long, X. (2022). How much is too much? New evidence associating low levels of prenatal alcohol exposure with brain differences in children. Neuropsychopharmacology, 48(1), 249–250. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41386-022-01388-0
  4. Long, X., & Lebel, C. (2022). Evaluation of brain alterations and behavior in children with low levels of prenatal alcohol exposure. JAMA Network Open, 5(4), e225972–e225972. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.5972 (Abstract and Full Free Text)
  5. O’Neill, J., O’Connor, M. J., Kalender, G., Ly, R., Ng, A., Dillon, A., Narr, K. L., Loo, S. K., Alger, J. R., & Levitt, J. G. (2022). Combining neuroimaging and behavior to discriminate children with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder with and without prenatal alcohol exposure. Brain Imaging & Behavior, 16(1), 69–77. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11682-021-00477-w
  6. Bodnar, T. S., Lee, C., Wong, A., Rubin, I., Parfrey, L. W., & Weinberg, J. (2022). Evidence for long‐lasting alterations in the fecal microbiota following prenatal alcohol exposure. Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, 46(4), 542–555. https://doi.org/10.1111/acer.14784

Education

  1. Lees, B., Riches, J., Mewton, L., Elliott, E. J., Allsop, S., Newton, N., Thomas, S., Rice, L. J., Nepal, S., Teesson, M., & Stapinski, L. A. (2022). Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder resources for educators: A scoping review. Health Promotion Journal of Australia, 33(3), 797–809. https://doi.org/10.1002/hpja.574 (Full Free Text)

Physical Health

  1. Cheung, M. M. Y., Tsang, T. W., Watkins, R., Birman, C., Popova, S., & Elliott, E. J. (2022). Ear abnormalities among children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Pediatrics, 242, 113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpeds.2021.11.016
  2. Young, S. L., Gallo, L. A., Brookes, D. S. K., Hayes, N., Maloney, M., Liddle, K., James, A., Moritz, K. M., & Reid, N. (2022). Altered bone and body composition in children and adolescents with confirmed prenatal alcohol exposure. Bone, 164, 116510. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bone.2022.116510

Strengths

  1. Kautz-Turnbull, C., Adams, T. R., & Petrenko, C. L. M. (2022). The strengths and positive influences of children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. American Journal on Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities, 127(5), 355–368. https://doi.org/10.1352/1944-7558-127.5.355
  2. Kully-Martens, K., McNeil, A., Pei, J., & Rasmussen, C. (2022). Toward a strengths-based cognitive profile of children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders: Implications for intervention. Current Developmental Disorders Reports, 9(2), 53–62. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40474-022-00245-5