Alcohol readily crosses the placenta and may disrupt fetal development. Harm from prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) is determined by the dose, pattern, timing and duration of exposure, fetal and maternal genetics, maternal nutrition, concurrent substance use, and epigenetic responses. A safe dose of alcohol use during pregnancy has not been established.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSignificant health inequities in Aotearoa present compelling evidence that responsibilities under Te Tiriti o Waitangi have not been upheld. The aim of this paper is to present our experiences as Pākehā/Palangi working in Māori and Pasifika health in Aotearoa. We are interested in what prevents the upholding of responsibilities by tangata Tiriti and in how, as tangata Tiriti, we can do better.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAim: This paper reports the findings of a literature review in answer to the research question: "What are the strengths and weaknesses of the existing research into the experience of prenatal alcohol exposure and Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder in Indigenous communities?"
Method: MEDLINE (Ovid), psychINFO, CINAHL Plus and Web of Science, EMBASE, Informit databases were searched using key words to identify relevant literature. Given the anticipated scarcity of research relevant to our study, no geographic or chronologic limitations were placed on the searches. Studies which were solely descriptive were excluded, but reviews were included.
Since the 2016 release of the Australian Guide to the Diagnosis of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), considerable progress has been made in the identification and diagnosis of the disorder. As part of a larger process to review and update the Guide, the aim of this study was to identify review priorities from a broad range of stakeholders involved in the assessment and diagnosis of FASD. Sixty-two stakeholders, including healthcare practitioners, researchers, other specialists, individuals with cultural expertise, lived experience and consumer representatives completed an online survey asking them to describe up to five priorities for the review of the Australian Guide to the Diagnosis of FASD.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAlcohol and illicit psychoactive drug use during pregnancy have increased worldwide, putting women and their children's health and development at risk. Multiple drug use, comorbid psychiatric disorders, sexual and physical abuse are common in women who use alcohol and drugs during pregnancy. The effects on the mother include poor reproductive and life-long health, legal, family, and social problems.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFChild Neuropsychol
November 2020
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is one of the leading causes of intellectual disability and learning difficulties around the world. Children with FASD often have extremely low adaptive behavior due to the severity of brain impairment, however there is limited understanding as to the important predictors of adaptive behavior. In a study of 39 children with FASD and 29 comparison children, we found that social cognition (specifically recognizing emotions) was the only significant independent predictor of teacher-rated adaptive functioning even after including IQ, executive functioning, and adverse childhood experiences into the model.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAim: Understanding professionals' views and needs can help advance service provision and improve future training opportunities, Therefore, the current study examined the experiences of Australian and New Zealand professionals who have attended fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD)-specific training and the impact of this training on their current practices.
Methods: A total of 52 health and education professionals from Australia and New Zealand completed an online survey that asked about their training experiences; changes in practice following training; their experiences implementing assessments in their workplace; and, for Australian professionals, their experiences of using the recently released Australian Guide to FASD diagnosis.
Results: Respondents described a range of perceived practice changes following training attendance.