scholarly journals The Potential for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Prevention of a Harmonized Approach to Data Collection about Alcohol Use in Pregnancy Cohort Studies

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (11) ◽  
pp. 2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nancy Poole ◽  
Rose A. Schmidt ◽  
Alan Bocking ◽  
Julie Bergeron ◽  
Isabel Fortier
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Prevention Strategies ◽  
Fetal Alcohol ◽  
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum ◽  
In Pregnancy

Prenatal alcohol exposure is a leading cause of disability, and a major public health concern in Canada. There are well-documented barriers for women and for service providers related to asking about alcohol use in pregnancy. Confidential research is important for learning about alcohol use before, during and after pregnancy, in order to inform fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) prevention strategies. The Research Advancement through Cohort Cataloguing and Harmonization (ReACH) initiative provides a unique opportunity to leverage the integration of the Canadian pregnancy and birth cohort information regarding women’s drinking during pregnancy. In this paper, we identify: The data that can be collected using formal validated alcohol screening tools; the data currently collected through Canadian provincial/territorial perinatal surveillance efforts; and the data currently collected in the research context from 12 pregnancy cohorts in the ReACH Catalogue. We use these findings to make recommendations for data collection about women’s alcohol use by future pregnancy cohorts, related to the frequency and quantity of alcohol consumed, the number of drinks consumed on an occasion, any alcohol consumption before pregnancy, changes in use since pregnancy recognition, and the quit date. Leveraging the development of a Canadian standard to measure alcohol consumption is essential to facilitate harmonization and co-analysis of data across cohorts, to obtain more accurate data on women’s alcohol use and also to inform FASD prevention strategies.

scholarly journals The effectiveness of alcohol warning labels in the prevention of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: A brief review

2014 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerald Thomas ◽  
Ginny Gonneau ◽  
Nancy Poole ◽  
Jocelynn Cook
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Drinking Behavior ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Maximum Effect ◽  
Warning Labels ◽  
Fetal Alcohol ◽  
Changing Attitudes ◽  
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum ◽  
In Pregnancy

Thomas, G., Gonneau, G., Poole, N., & Cook, J. (2014). The effectiveness of alcohol warning labels in the prevention of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: A brief review. The International Journal Of Alcohol And Drug Research, 3(1), 91-103 doi:10.7895/ijadr.vX3i1.126Aims and Method: Alcohol warning labels are one way of influencing alcohol consumption in pregnancy and thereby preventing Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). This scoping review describes the literature on the influence of alcohol warning labels (AWLs) for changing attitudes and behavior related to alcohol use in pregnancy; draws on the larger literature related to effectiveness of AWLs which may have relevance to FASD prevention; and situates AWLs within a continuum of strategies to prevent FASD.Findings: Our review of the published literature suggests that while AWLs are popular with the public, their effectiveness for changing drinking behavior is limited. Available research suggests that for maximum effect, AWLs should speak clearly about the consequences of alcohol consumption and should also be coordinated and integrated with other, broader social messaging campaigns. Use of AWLs related to alcohol and pregnancy must be carefully considered; their messaging has the most influence on low-risk drinkers, and to date they have not been shown to change the drinking behavior of those who drink heavily or binge during pregnancy. However, AWLs have been shown to stimulate conversations about alcohol consumption and may play a role in shifting social norms to reduce risks.Conclusions: Multiple measures are required to increase societal awareness of the risks of drinking in pregnancy, influence alcohol consumption by pregnant women, and improve the quality of support for women with alcohol and related health and social problems.

scholarly journals Exploring the prevention of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder in the Northwest Territories of Canada: Brightening our home fires

2013 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 7-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dorothy Badry ◽  
Aileen Felske
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Women’S Health ◽  
Women's Health ◽  
Northwest Territories ◽  
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Research Study ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Fetal Alcohol ◽  
Qualitative Research Study ◽  
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum

Badry, D., & Felske, A. (2013). Exploring the prevention of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder in the Northwest Territories of Canada: Brightening our home fires. The International Journal Of Alcohol And Drug Research, 2(3), 7-15. doi:10.7895/ijadr.v2i3.125 (http://dx.doi.org/10.7895/ijadr.v2i3.125)Aims: The prevention of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) in a Northern context from a woman’s health perspective was explored in the qualitative research study, Brightening Our Home Fires (BOHF). It is recognized that research on the prevention of FASD is a sensitive topic due to stigma associated with alcohol use during pregnancy. Women’s health and FASD prevention were identified as the focus of the research, as they are deeply intertwined topics.Design: The BOHF project was designed as a participation action research project that utilized Photovoice as a primary methodology to approach the topic of FASD prevention in the Northwest Territories (NT) from a women’s health lens.Setting: This research took place in Yellowknife, NT. Participants included both Dene and Inuit women.Participants: Eight women living in a homeless centre in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories.Measures: This was a qualitative research study that utilized Participatory Action Research (PAR) to explore women’s health in the North. Photovoice was the primary methodology. The analysis of this research focused on both image and text, and a depth analysis of text led to theme identification.Findings: Findings included the importance, to women participants, of housing, access to treatment resources for alcohol, and engagement with health-related resources, and the challenges they experience that are related to their histories of trauma.Conclusions: Engagement with women in the NT on FASD prevention was important in broadly identifying the linkages between trauma and alcohol use while respecting context and stigma around alcohol use and pregnancy.

scholarly journals Maternal iron nutriture as a critical modulator of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder risk in alcohol-exposed pregnancies

2018 ◽  
Vol 96 (2) ◽  
pp. 204-212 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaylee K. Helfrich ◽  
Nipun Saini ◽  
Pamela J. Kling ◽  
Susan M. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Iron Homeostasis ◽  
Maternal Nutrition ◽  
Premenopausal Women ◽  
Alcohol Exposure ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Fetal Alcohol ◽  
Liver Iron ◽  
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum

Alcohol consumption during pregnancy places the fetus at risk for permanent physical, cognitive, and behavioral impairments, collectively termed fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). However, prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) outcomes vary widely, and growing evidence suggests that maternal nutrition is a modifying factor. Certain nutrients, such as iron, may modulate FASD outcomes. Untreated gestational iron deficiency (ID) causes persistent neurodevelopmental deficits in the offspring that affect many of the same domains damaged by PAE. Although chronic alcohol consumption enhances iron uptake and elevates liver iron stores in adult alcoholics, alcohol-abusing premenopausal women often have low iron reserves due to menstruation, childbirth, and poor diet. Recent investigations show that low iron reserves during pregnancy are strongly associated with a worsening of several hallmark features in FASD including reduced growth and impaired associative learning. This review discusses recent clinical and animal model findings that maternal ID worsens fetal outcomes in response to PAE. It also discusses underlying mechanisms by which PAE disrupts maternal and fetal iron homeostasis. We suggest that alcohol-exposed ID pregnancies contribute to the severe end of the FASD spectrum.

scholarly journals Global prevalence of alcohol use and binge drinking during pregnancy, and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder

2018 ◽  
Vol 96 (2) ◽  
pp. 237-240 ◽  
Author(s):  
Svetlana Popova ◽  
Shannon Lange ◽  
Charlotte Probst ◽  
Gerrit Gmel ◽  
Jürgen Rehm
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Binge Drinking ◽  
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Prenatal Alcohol Exposure ◽  
Heavy Drinking ◽  
Alcohol Exposure ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
World Health ◽  
Fetal Alcohol ◽  
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum

Alcohol use during pregnancy is an established cause of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), with heavy drinking during pregnancy being explicitly linked to fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). This paper presents recent estimates of the prevalence of: (i) any amount of alcohol use during pregnancy; (ii) one or more binge drinking episode(s) (4 or more standard drinks on a single occasion) during pregnancy; (iii) FAS; and (iv) FASD among the general population globally and by World Health Organization region. It is apparent, based on the presented estimates, that alcohol use and binge drinking occur frequently among pregnant women in many countries and as a result, FASD is a prevalent alcohol-related developmental disability. Urgent action is required around the globe to eliminate prenatal alcohol exposure and prevent future children, adolescents, and adults from having FASD.

scholarly journals Profile of Mothers of Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: A Population-Based Study in Canada

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (21) ◽  
pp. 7986
Author(s):  
Svetlana Popova ◽  
Shannon Lange ◽  
Valerie Temple ◽  
Vladimir Poznyak ◽  
Albert E. Chudley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Drug Use ◽  
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Fetal Alcohol ◽  
Pregnancy Recognition ◽  
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum

Objective: To compare the characteristics of mothers of children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) with mothers of typically developing control children. Methods: The study utilized a cross-sectional, observational design, using active case ascertainment. Biological mothers were interviewed using a standardized retrospective questionnaire to collect data on demographics, living environment, pregnancy history, nutrition, alcohol and other drug use prior to and following pregnancy recognition. Results: A total of 173 mothers were interviewed. Of these, 19 had a child who was diagnosed with FASD, five had a child who had received a deferred FASD diagnosis, and 37 had children who were selected into the control group as typically developing children. The remaining 112 mothers had children who did not meet diagnostic criteria for FASD. The mothers of children with FASD did not differ significantly from mothers of the control group children with respect to age, ethnicity, marital status, and employment status at the time of pregnancy. However, mothers of children with FASD had lower levels of education (p < 0.01) and were more likely to have received financial support (p < 0.05) at the time of pregnancy, to have smoked tobacco (p < 0.001), and to have used marijuana or hashish (p < 0.01) prior to pregnancy recognition, compared with mothers of control children. All mothers of children with FASD reported alcohol consumption prior to pregnancy recognition; however, only 10.5% reported alcohol consumption following pregnancy recognition. None of the mothers interviewed reported any drug use following pregnancy recognition. Conclusions: Population-based preventive interventions, including repeated screening, monitoring, and education regarding the effects of alcohol use, as well as other substances, before and during pregnancy, are needed to eliminate risk for FASD and other negative consequences on child and maternal health.

scholarly journals Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: What does Public Awareness Tell Us about Prevention Programming?

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (21) ◽  
pp. 4229
Author(s):  
Peter Choate ◽  
Dorothy Badry ◽  
Bruce MacLaurin ◽  
Kehinde Ariyo ◽  
Dorsa Sobhani
Keyword(s):  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Childbearing Age ◽  
Fetal Alcohol ◽  
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum

The prevalence of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) does not appear to be diminishing over time. Indeed, recent data suggests that the disorder may be more prevalent than previously thought. A variety of public education programs developed over the last 20 years have promoted alcohol abstention during pregnancy, yet FASD remains a serious public health concern. This paper reports on a secondary data analysis of public awareness in one Canadian province looking at possible creative pathways to consider for future prevention efforts. The data indicates that the focus on women of childbearing age continues to make sense. The data also suggests that targeting formal (health care providers for examples) and informal support (partner, spouse, family, and friends) might also be valuable. They are seen as sources of encouragement, so ensuring they understand the risks, as well as effective ways to encourage abstinence or harm reduction, may be beneficial for both the woman and the pregnancy. Educating people who might support a woman in pregnancy may be as important as programs targeted towards women who may become or are pregnant. The data also suggests that there is already a significant level of awareness of FASD, thus highlighting the need to explore the effectiveness and value of current prevention approaches.

Animal-Assisted Therapy for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder

2014 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
pp. 3-9
Author(s):  
Brooke Vincent ◽  
Caley Kropp ◽  
Andrew M. Byrne
Keyword(s):  
Learning Disabilities ◽  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Physical Functioning ◽  
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Animal Assisted Therapy ◽  
Rehabilitation Counselors ◽  
Social Emotional ◽  
Fetal Alcohol ◽  
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) occurs as a result of alcohol consumption by a woman during pregnancy. Infants with FASD may have lifelong cognitive, behavioral, physical, or learning disabilities as a result. Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is a type of goal-oriented therapy for improving social, emotional, cognitive, and physical functioning. The use of animal-assisted therapy has been found effective in the treatment of some disabilities; however there is a paucity of literature addressing this therapy for individuals with FASD. This article provides rehabilitation counselors with an overview of FASD, followed by a review of AAT, and then an application of AAT to developmental disabilities and more specifically to FASD.

Unrealistic optimism with regard to drinking during pregnancy among women of childbearing age in a South African community

2017 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 219-229
Author(s):  
Jacobus G Louw ◽  
Mark Tomlinson ◽  
Leana Olivier
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Unrealistic Optimism ◽  
Childbearing Age ◽  
Fetal Alcohol ◽  
Personal Risk ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum

Drinking alcohol during pregnancy is a risk factor in a range of adverse birth outcomes, including fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, and is a major health concern. For this behaviour to change one of the necessary conditions is for women to have an accurate perception of the risks drinking during pregnancy poses. A major obstacle to this is the presence of unrealistic optimism which leads to women believing they are less at risk than others. This study examined a sample of women ( N = 129) from a community in the Northern Cape Province in South Africa with a high prevalence of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder for signs of unrealistic optimism. A questionnaire about the perception of personal and general risk was administered during a one-on-one interview and responses compared. Neither a Student’s t-test ( t(115) = −1.720, p = .088, 95% confidence interval [−0.180, 0.013]) nor a Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-rank test ( z = −1.72, p = .285) showed a significant difference. The perception of risk posed by drinking during pregnancy to others, knowledge of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, and the perception of how easy it would be for the participant to quit drinking were significant predictors of the perception of personal risk. Only the perception of personal risk predicted the perception of general risk. There was no evidence that participants believed themselves to be less at risk than their peers when it came to the risks of drinking during pregnancy. Future directions for research into unrealistic optimism and drinking during pregnancy are discussed.

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