Top Articles

Top FASD Articles of 2025

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 485 unique articles published in 2025 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 alcohol use during pregnancy. 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.

Neurodevelopment and Clinical Features

1. Gale, E. L., & Hunt, C. A. (2025). Sleep disturbance in children with prenatal alcohol exposure: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 84. doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2025.102186

2. Ogunjimi, E., Guebert, A. F., Anderson, T., Derkson, J., Okonji, P. E., & Mela, M. (2025). The long-term effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on offspring: Insights from the ALSPAC Cohort. Child Psychiatry & Human Development. 10.1007/s10578-025-01855-x. Advance online publication. doi:10.1007/s10578-025-01855-x

3. Temple, V. K., Fulford, C., Unsworth, K., Cook, J. L., & Popova, S. (2025). Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD): Comparing profiles of younger versus older adults. Journal of Intellectual & Developmental Disability, 51. 1-10. doi:10.3109/13668250.2025.2547408

Assessment and Diagnosis

4. Fernandes-Magalhaes, R., Labrado, L., Ferrera, D., Fernandez-Sanchez, M., Del Pino, A. B., Soldic, D., . . . Mercado, F. (2025). Differentiating fetal alcohol spectrum disorder from other neurodevelopmental disorders: Neurocognitive and socio-emotional evidence. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 19. doi:10.3389/fnins.2025.1716494

5. Harding, K. D., Flannigan, K., Burns, C., Unsworth, K., & McFarlane, A. (2025). Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder diagnostic clinics in Canada: “It wouldn’t happen if nobody wanted it to happen”. Journal of Intellectual & Developmental Disability, 51(1), 115–125. doi:10.3109/13668250.2025.2508619

6. Kerimofski, K. L., Panton, K. R., Tan, G. K. Y., & Pestell, C. F. (2025). Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder identification in Australia: A qualitative analysis of perspectives from psychologists and individuals with lived and living experience. Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research, 49(5), 1042-1052. doi:10.1111/acer.70040

Intervention and Service Provision

7. Carter, E., Rice, L. J., Bear, E., Bedford, M., Carter, C., Davies, J., . . . Elliott, E. J. (2025). Co-designing a place-based social and emotional wellbeing service model with young Aboriginal people in the remote Fitzroy Valley of Western Australia: The Bigiswun Kid project. Australian Journal of Psychology, 77(1). doi:10.1080/00049530.2025.2538509

8. Chandler-Mather, N., Shelton, D., Donovan, C., Till, H., Theroux, B. M., & Dawe, S. (2026). A pilot randomised controlled trial of sublingual melatonin for sleep onset insomnia in children with foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, 62(1), 16-22. doi:10.1111/jpc.70224

9. Kautz-Turnbull, C., Rockhold, M., Speybroeck, E., Myers, J., & Petrenko, C. L. M. (2025). Preventing exclusionary discipline and adverse life experiences in FASD: Teachers’ ability to recognize students with FASD in the classroom and develop and implement preventative strategies to support learning and behavior. Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research, 49(8), 1828-1838. doi:10.1111/acer.70100

10. Peled, M., & Smith, A. (2026). Youth with FASD: Understanding the challenges and identifying supports to foster healthy development. Children and Youth Services Review, 181. doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2025.108736

11. Purrington, J., Price, A. D., Godfrey, C., Lynch, J., Cook, P. A., & Mukherjee, R. A. S. (2025). The impact of a neurocollaborative theraplay R informed intervention on the presentations of developmental trauma and attachment difficulties in adopted children with prenatal alcohol exposure: An extended case study. Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma, 18(3), 555-571. doi:https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s40653-025-00715-z

Health and Wellbeing

12. Dozet, D., de Oliveira, C., Lunsky, Y., Calzavara, A., & Popova, S. (2025). Healthcare utilisation and characteristics of adults with fetal alcohol syndrome: A descriptive population-based cohort study in Ontario, Canada. Journal of Intellectual & Developmental Disability, 50(3), 339-352. doi:10.3109/13668250.2025.2449677

13. Reboe-Benjamin, M., Desroches, A., Reid, D., Brownstone, L., Mohr, S., Okonji, P. E., . . . Mela, M. (2025). Patterns of cannabis use in adults with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction. doi:10.1007/s11469-025-01546-7

14. Tan, G. K. Y., Connor, S. G., Quinn, S., Fitzpatrick, J., Adams, I., & Pestell, C. F. (2025). Analysis of risk factors associated with suicidality in children and adolescents with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder in Western Australia. Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research, 49(5), 1149-1160. doi:10.1111/acer.70039

15. Vanderpeet, C., Akison, L., Moritz, K., Hayes, N., & Reid, N. (2025). Beyond the brain: The physical health and whole-body impact of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. Alcohol Research: Current Reviews, 45(1). doi:10.35946/arcr.v45.1.05

Caregivers/Families

16. Gilbert, D. J., Price, A. D., Cook, P. A., & Mukherjee, R. A. S. (2025). The relationship between prenatal alcohol exposure and infant/child-caregiver attachment: A scoping review. Children-Basel, 12(9). doi:10.3390/children12091133

17. Gomez-Santabrigida, D., Montserrat, C., Garcia-Molsosa, M., & Lima-Lopez, G. (2025). Expectations and concerns of adoptive families of children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. Child & Family Social Work. doi:10.1111/cfs.70059

18. Mercer, F., McIntyre, K., Lawson, M., & O’Rourke, S. (2025). The lived experiences of adoptive and foster parents of children with foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD): A systematic review of parental stress, social networks and social support. Child & Family Social Work. doi:10.1111/cfs.70096

Criminal Legal System

19. Faitakis, M., McLachlan, K., Fiacconi, C., Flannigan, K., Temple, V., Mela, M., . . . Pei, J. (2025). Criminal legal system contact in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD): Experiences and support needs. International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, 101. doi:10.1016/j.ijlp.2025.102106

20. Flannigan, K., Pun, J. W., Buttinger, P., McLachlan, K., Holmstrom, K., Tremblay, M., . . . Pei, J. (2025). An updated systematic review of the literature on fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and the criminal legal system. International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, 100. doi:10.1016/j.ijlp.2025.102073

21. Gibbs, A. (2025). ‘It’s my brain why don’t they get that my brain is different?’: The needs of neurodivergent probation service users and what neuro-informed best practice for criminal justice social workers looks like. Probation Journal, 72(4), 366-382. doi:10.1177/02645505251376216

22. Gilbert, D. J., Allely, C. S., Mukherjee, R. A. S., Gudjonsson, G., Brown, J., McGinn, V., & Cook, P. A. (2025). An empirical examination of confabulation in adolescents with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). Journal of Pediatric Neuropsychology, 11(4), 150-158. doi:10.1037/jpn0000016

23. Ritter, C., McLachlan, K., Baig, M. F., McMurtry, M., & Lumley, M. N. (2025). Evaluating the role of strengths and protective factors for youth with FASD and criminal legal system involvement: A scoping review. Psychiatry Psychology and Law. doi:10.1080/13218719.2025.2470621

Emerging Issues and Trends

24. May, P. A., Hasken, J. M., Blankenship, J., Marais, A.-S., Gossage, J. P., Kalberg, W. O., . . . Seedat, S. (2025). Does paternal alcohol consumption affect the severity of traits of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders? Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research, 49(8), 1716-1729. doi:10.1111/acer.70105

25. Moss, S., McLachlan, K., McMurtry, C. M., & Moulden, H. M. (2025). Sexuality in fetal alcohol spectrum disorder: A topical review primer for clinicians and researchers. Sexuality and Disability, 43(3). doi:10.1007/s11195-025-09899-6

26. Stagnone, N. H., Thorne, J. C., Mattson, J. T., & Kover, S. T. (2025). Executive and social functioning in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders: Comparison to autism. American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 130(3), 209-227. doi:10.1352/1944-7558-130.3.209

Brain Science

27. Ghasoub, M., Long, M., Roeske, J., Perdue, M. V., Long, X., McMorris, C., . . . Lebel, C. (2025). Decreased cerebral blood flow in young children with prenatal alcohol exposure. Biological Psychiatry Global Open Science, 5(6), 100576. doi:10.1016/j.bpsgos.2025.100576

28. Long, X., & Lebel, C. (2025). Persistent alterations of brain and behavior in children with low prenatal alcohol exposure. Biological Psychiatry Global Open Science, 6(2), 100648. doi:10.1016/j.bpsgos.2025.100648

29. Ramos-Triguero, A., Navarro-Tapia, E., Vieiros, M., Martinez, L., Garcia-Algar, O., & Andreu-Fernandez, V. (2025). Machine learning-driven blood biomarker profiling and EGCG intervention in fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology, 25(3). doi:10.1016/j.ijchp.2025.100620

30. Roeske, J., Long, X., Perdue, M. V., Long, M., Geeraert, B., Ghasoub, M., . . . Lebel, C. (2026). Amygdala and prefrontal cortex maturational differences in children and adolescents with prenatal alcohol exposure. Biological Psychiatry Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, 11(1), 17-29. doi:10.1016/j.bpsc.2025.08.016

31. Sessa, F., Carotenuto, M., Ferorelli, D., Esposito, M., Pomara, C., & Salerno, M. (2025). Genetic and epigenetic determinants of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders: Toward a precision medicine approach. Experimental and Molecular Pathology, 144. doi:10.1016/j.yexmp.2025.105002

Animal Models of PAE

32. Holman, P. J., Ellis, L., Chao, A., Mitchell, C., Raineki, C., & Weinberg, J. (2025). Altered activity within the social behavior neural network in adolescent rats following prenatal alcohol exposure and/or early-life adversity. Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research, 49(7), 1445-1458. doi:10.1111/acer.70082

33. Wong, K. E., Luft, C., Vella, V. R., Ainsworth-Cruickshank, G. R. J., Wijesundara, K. K., Holman, P. J., . . . Raineki, C. (2025). Role of gut microbiota and its functional products in prenatal alcohol-induced anxiety-like behavior. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry, 141. doi:10.1016/j.pnpbp.2025.111454