FASD & Me – Teens Peer Mentoring Program: In an inspiring initiative that addresses the complex needs and celebrates the strengths of children and youth living with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), Adopt4Life has launched the bilingual program “FASD & Me: Strengthening My Community.” This innovative program is a beacon of hope and support for hundreds of families navigating the challenges of obtaining accurate diagnoses and developing strategies for long-term success for their children affected by FASD.

https://alcoholcampaign.org/2024/02/12/until-next-time/

“Resiliency Starts Here – What You Drink, Your Baby Drinks!”  Start building resiliency into your child from the very start #FASDAwareness Month 

FASD 2023 

(F.A.S.D Day 9^th of 9^th 2023)
Alcohol consumption during pregnancy has long been recognized as a significant health concern due to its potential to cause severe developmental issues in foetuses. Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is a preventable brain disease that can affect a child's lifelong health and well-being when a pregnant woman consumes alcohol. 

Completely incurable – But totally Preventable!

After years of lobbying from many prevention focused groups, not least Dalgarno Institute, for governments to address this pressing issue, the Australian government finally acquiesced, amidst continuing Big Alcohol pressure, to mandate the implementation of warning labels on alcoholic beverages to raise awareness about the dangers of alcohol consumption during pregnancy. 

However, a disturbing pattern is emerging where alcohol retailers are attempting to delay or circumvent these vital warnings. According to mandates agreed upon (Food Standards ANZ), as of 31^st of July 2020, alcohol and pregnancy warning labels were supposed to be in play, at least on all packaged liquor, but clearly this is still far from done. ‘Optional’ recommendations of alternative requirements for pregnancy warning labels for corrugated cardboard outer packaging were also introduced on 4 May 2023.​​ So, if the industry is still stalling on the mandatory, you can be rest assured, the ‘opt in’ recs will be stalled indefinitely. 

This article delves into the issues surrounding toxic alcohol marketing and sales modes, particularly the delay tactics employed by alcohol retailers regarding warning labels related to pregnancy and the ‘wild west’ that is online sales and delivery.

For more

Texas A&M research highlights the need to expand pre-pregnancy messaging to emphasize the reproductive dangers of alcohol use by both parents. (TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY)
Research from Dr. Michael Golding’s laboratory at Texas A&M University indicates that male alcohol use has a significant negative influence on in vitro fertilization (IVF) success rates, thus increasing patient financial burden and emotional stress.

The recently published work is part of Golding’s research program focused on understanding how male drinking prior to conception contributes to the development of alcohol-induced birth defects and disease. This particular study highlights the importance of expanding fertility and pre-pregnancy messaging to emphasize the reproductive danger of alcohol use by both parents, not just the mother.
These statistics highlight the growing importance of looking at both parent’s contributions to fertility and pregnancy outcomes, according to Golding, an associate professor in the School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences’ Department of Veterinary Physiology & Pharmacology.
“We say to the woman, ‘you need to be careful of what you eat. You need to stop smoking. You need to be doing all these different things to improve fertility,’” Golding said. “We don't say anything to the man, and that's a mistake, because what we're seeing here is that the couple’s odds of success with their IVF procedure are increasing simply by addressing both parents’ health habits.”
Golding’s research used a mouse model to determine the effects of a potential father’s drinking on IVF pregnancy outcomes. The model included a control group that represented males who do not drink, a group that represented males who participate in chronic drinking at the legal limit, and a group that represented males who participate in chronic drinking at one and a half times the legal limit.
The results of the research revealed that the more a male drinks before providing sperm for an IVF pregnancy, the less likely the pregnancy is to be successful.
“The most important aspect of this research is that it makes it clear that everybody plays a role in achieving successful pregnancy outcomes, even though the general assumption is that it’s just women,” Roach said. “The most important thing to take away from this is that if you’re a male considering having a family, abstain from alcohol until your wife gets pregnant.”
The research concludes that male alcohol use hinders an embryo's ability to successfully implant in the uterus and reduces IVF embryo survival rates. The research also revealed more questions about fetal development and paternal drinking. Golding’s lab is continuing to research these questions and the paternal aspects of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, a group of conditions that can occur when a person is exposed to alcohol before birth. His work aims to provide a holistic look at understanding fetal development and pregnancy by examining the father’s role in it.
“It is important to remember that couples struggling with fertility who have chosen to pursue IVF are under intense emotional and financial pressure, which is associated with a feeling of helplessness,” Golding pointed out. “Our study demonstrates that drinking alcohol is an unrecognized factor that negatively impacts IVF pregnancy success rates. Therefore, as alcohol use is easily changed, our study identifies a shared action item that can empower the couple to work together toward their goal of becoming pregnant.”

For complete article Source

Also see ‘International FASD Day –  9th Hour, 9th Day, 9th Month – Not Just a ‘Woman’s’ Issue!’

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) are characterized by problems within 3 domains: self-regulation, neurocognition, and adaptive skills. In the US, it is estimated that 1–5% of children meet criteria for FASD. Researchers used data from the 2017 IBM Watson Health MarketScan Multistate Medicaid and Commercial Claims database for children aged 0–17 to explore the prescribing of psychotropic medications to children with FASD. The authors also collected data on co-occurring medical and mental health diagnoses.

• The most common medications prescribed to children with Medicaid and FASD were stimulants (41%), anticonvulsants (40%), alpha 2 agonists (40%), and benzodiazepines/barbiturates (31%).
  
• The most common medications prescribed to children with private insurance and FASD were stimulants (56%), antidepressants (30%), and alpha 2 agonists (27%).
  
• The 3 most common co-occurring diagnoses within the Medicaid cohort were encephalopathy (63%), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD; 51%), and epilepsy (44%).
  
• The 3 most common co-occurring diagnoses within the privately-insured cohort were encephalopathy (79%), ADHD (54%), and anxiety (24%).
  
• In most age groups, the administration of psychotropic medications was somewhat higher in Medicaid versus privately insured patients, but the difference was not substantial.
  
• Psychotropic medication was prescribed to more than one-third of children with FASD who did not have a co-occurring mental health diagnosis.
  

Comments: This study shows that children with FASD have a high burden of co-occurring disorders. It is important for clinicians to be aware of the association of FASD with other disorders, including ADHD and seizures. This study also shows that many of these children, even those without a mental health diagnosis, are prescribed psychotropic medications and that prescribing rates are higher among those covered by Medicaid. It is important that these children receive social support, accurate diagnoses, and a full spectrum of treatment, including evidence-based behavioral therapy.
Corey McBrayer, DO* & Darius A. Rastegar, MD
* Rich Saitz Editorial Intern & Grant Medical Center Addiction Medicine Fellow, OhioHealth.

Reference: Senturias Y, Ali MM, West K. Psychotropic medication utilization among children diagnosed with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. Pediatrics.
Source Boston University| Alcohol, Other Drugs, and Health: Current Evidence (bu.edu)