EU FASD Alliance Newsletter - featuring Kitchen Table Conversations
The below is from the EU FASD Alliance newsletter and can be found on https://alcoholweekly.blogspot.com/
We are so honoured and excited to have been featured in it along with other helpful resources!
EUFASD - Conference EUFASD8, Amiens, France 13-16 September 2026, save the date!
EUFASD8 take place in Amiens, France, 13-16 September 2026. Our local partner is the French Association Vivre Avec Le SAF.
https://www.eufasd.org/news/conference-eufasd8-amiens-france-13-16-september-2026-save-the-date/BBC (UK) - Mental health law 'won't stop detentions'
Campaigners are warning that a new mental health law covering Wales will not reduce the "unnecessary" detention of disabled people in secure hospitals.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn7xnyp1yk2oNews-Medical - UCLA launches trial of wearable ADHD therapy for children exposed to alcohol in the womb
Researchers at UCLA Health are launching the first clinical trial to test whether a wearable device that delivers gentle nerve stimulation during sleep could ease ADHD symptoms in children with prenatal alcohol exposure.
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20250422/UCLA-launches-trial-of-wearable-ADHD-therapy-for-children-exposed-to-alcohol-in-the-womb.aspxNews-Medical - Evidence alcohol even prior to conception may harm your baby
A study of more than 400 Australian women has found that alcohol consumption at or around the time of conception can damage the growth of the placenta, potentially harming a baby’s development.
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20250417/Evidence-alcohol-even-prior-to-conception-may-harm-your-baby.aspxMom.com - Why ‘Non-Alcoholic’ Doesn’t Always Mean Safe During Pregnancy
The non-alcoholic adult beverage market is booming and for many good reasons. But if you’re pregnant and planning to switch to non-alcoholic alternatives during pregnancy, you might want to think again.
https://mom.com/pregnancy/why-non-alcoholic-doesnt-always-mean-safe-during-pregnancyPennNeuroKnow - Blood Mary, Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary: The science of fetal alcohol specturm disorders
For thousands of years, parents have been warning each other against drinking alcohol when pregnant. This is valuable advice; consuming even small amounts of alcohol during pregnancy is associated with a wide range of symptoms for the baby – including problems with learning and memory, emotional regulation, and communication – which are collectively known as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD).
https://pennneuroknow.com/2025/04/22/blood-mary-bloody-mary-bloody-mary-the-science-of-fetal-alcohol-specturm-disorders/CanFASD - FASD and the Legal System: Why Training Matters
Earlier this month, a story hit headlines about a man with FASD who experienced oppressive police interrogation tactics. Police questioned the man for over eight hours without providing the support or accommodations he needed.
https://canfasd.ca/2025/04/23/fasd-and-the-legal-system-why-training-matters/
VIDEOS and MATERIALS
Two Giraffes - Video & Animation Studio - University of Sydney - “FASD and Trauma”
Explores the intersection between Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) and trauma, shedding light on how adverse childhood experiences can compound the challenges faced by individuals with FASD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkC6ahwbvDsFASD Awareness - FASD & STIGMA - Maggie May, CJ Lutke & Justin Shepherd - FASD Awareness Webinar #34
In this month’s webinar, we takle one of the most challenging conversations for individuals and families living with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. Host, Andrew Keeping embarks on a frank and open discussion with three of the world’s leading FASD advocates.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_M3MXGEtnIPatricia Kasper, Your FASD Coach - Eating for Wellness: The Gut-Brain Connection in FASD with Dr. Jerrod Brown
In this enlightening episode of Living with FASD, host Patti Kasper reconnects with Dr. Jerrod Brown for a fascinating exploration of psychogastroenterology and its implications for individuals living with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymlRQ70EgjEAngela Geddes | Integrative Support & Wellness - EPISODE #102: Let's Talk About the Real Risk - Autism, FASD, and What We're Missing
This episode challenges recent claims made by RFK Jr. around autism and explores why Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is being left out of the conversation. While autism is valid and deserves attention, the known risk of prenatal alcohol exposure is too often ignored.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bxo-Tdum4KcFASD Hub Scotland and FASD Hub UK - David Boulding Webinar
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftXAdZnWt6kCreating a Family - Parenting Kids with Prenatal Exposure: Practical Tips
Do you suspect (or know) that your child was exposed to alcohol or drugs during pregnancy? We discuss tips for how to best work with these children with Dr. Robin Gurwitch, a professor at Duke University’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the Center for Child and Family Health.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Oe9K1zRaJ0
RESEARCH
medRxiv - Efficacy of Short vs. Long Dog-Assisted Therapy Programs in Children and Adolescents with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial
The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy of a shorter (8 sessions) and longer (16 sessions) Dog-Assisted Therapy (DAT) program for children and adolescents with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD).
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.04.26.25326504v1Child Protection and Practice - Transition from care experiences of youth aged 13 to 23 living with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder in Canada: A scoping review
While this subpopulation must leave care by early adulthood, their experience is missing from the literature. We recommend investing in foundational research on pathways of exiting care, updating policy and practice to ensure youth voices are integrated, and optimizing, standardizing, and tracking protective factors throughout child welfare engagement.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2950193825000798American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities - Executive and Social Functioning in Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders: Comparison to Autism
Executive function is an area of challenge for both children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) and children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Parent ratings of everyday executive function relate to a range of outcomes, including social functioning in ASD.
https://meridian.allenpress.com/ajidd/article-abstract/130/3/209/506621/Executive-and-Social-Functioning-in-Fetal-Alcohol?redirectedFrom=fulltextAlcohol, Clinical and Experimental Research - Psychosocial, neurocognitive, and physical development in Eastern European adopted adolescents with and without fetal alcohol spectrum disorder
Adopted adolescents with FASD showed a complex profile of deficits in social communication, certain neurocognitive areas (particularly in working memory and language), and self-regulation.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40288910/bioRxiv - Interactions between the Bone Morphogenetic Protein and the Planar Cell Polarity Pathways lead to distinctive ethanol-induced facial defects
Ultimately, our work builds on a mechanistic paradigm of ethanol-induced birth defects we have been developing, connecting conceptual framework with concrete cellular events that could be ethanol-sensitive beyond facial development.
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.04.23.650288v1.abstractscientific reports - Chemogenetic inhibition of prefrontal cortex inputs to dorsal raphe reduces anxiety behaviors in male rat model of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder
Prenatal ethanol exposure (PE) causes Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD), characterized by cognitive, behavioral, and emotional deficits, including anxiety and depression.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-99181-8Advances in Neurodevelopmental Disorders - Emotion Awareness and Perceptions of Parental Response to Emotion in Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders: Development and Preliminary Testing of the Qualitative Emotion Interview
The QEI is a promising method of understanding the emotional experiences of young children with FASD, and may be useful for other populations.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s41252-025-00443-3University of Calgary - Effects of sex and prenatal alcohol exposure on early childhood gray matter volume and executive function
Brain development is a dynamic process, characterized by both progressive and regressive changes in brain structure. Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) can have profound, deleterious effects on brain structural development and is associated with behavioural impairments such as difficulties with executive function.
https://ucalgary.scholaris.ca/items/521b2bfe-06c0-4c81-b6a3-e6f1c4143006Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging - Thalamic Nuclear Volumes in Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders: from Adolescence to Middle-Age 20 Years Later
These novel data revealed stable deficits in thalamic nuclei of the groups with heavy fetal alcohol exposure. After 20 years, the deficits endured but without accelerated age-related decline and following the same aging pattern as controls.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2451902225001302Research in Developmental Disabilities - Emotion socialization practices in non-biological parents of children with FASD
Emotion coaching was associated was positively associated with emotion dismissing, suggesting caregivers use a combination of both.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0891422225000952The University of Western Ontario - Sex-Specific Effects of Early Acute Prenatal Alcohol Exposure and Mild Juvenile Stress on the Risk of Developing Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Liver Abnormalities in Mice
This study employs a mouse model to evaluate the individual and combined effects of early acute PAE and mild juvenile stress on type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) risk and liver health.
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/10745/Healthcare - Effectiveness of Web-Based Interventions on Clinical Outcomes and Lifestyle Modifications in Women Planning to Conceive: A Systematic Review
Web-based interventions show potential in improving certain health behaviors among preconception women. Further high-quality studies are needed to assess their effectiveness on a broader range of outcomes, including dietary habits, physical activity, and substance use, and to inform their integration into preconception care strategies.
https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/13/9/1037The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition - Choline enhances elicited imitation memory performance in preschool children with prenatal alcohol exposure: a cumulative report of 3 randomized controlled trials
The results support choline as a neurodevelopmental intervention for improvement of memory in young children exposed to alcohol prenatally.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0002916525000772