Most public health messaging on alcohol and pregnancy focuses on the mother. Yet new research from Texas A&M University shows that paternal alcohol use before conception may leave lasting biological marks on children. Fathers have far more influence than many people assume. Paternal Alcohol Use Alters Biological Signals in Sperm Dr Michael Golding is a […]
New Finnish research shows that FASD diagnosis in children is failing on a wide scale. Researchers found that children harmed by prenatal alcohol exposure routinely go unidentified and unsupported. The findings raise urgent questions about how health systems spot and help some of their most vulnerable young people. The University of Helsinki and HUS Helsinki
Adapted Media Release Published: 17 January 2017Worldwide, an estimated 119,000 children are born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) each year, a new study from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) shows. The study, published in The Lancet Global Health, provides the first-ever estimates of the proportion of women who drink during pregnancy, as
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This study, in a representative sample of young people in detention in Western Australia, has documented a high prevalence of FASD and severe neurodevelopmental impairment, the majority of which had not been previously identified. These findings highlight the vulnerability of young people, particularly Aboriginal youth, within the justice system and their significant need for improved
Five Things You Should Know about Drinking Alcohol during Pregnancy Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, and a range of lifelong physical, behavioral, and intellectual disabilities. These disabilities are known as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, or FASDs. People with FASDs can have learning disabilities, hyperactivity, difficulty with attention, speech and language delays, low IQ, and
Centre for Disease Control – FASDs: Information for Women Read More »
Alcohol sales have spiked during the past month. It has long been acknowledged that Scotland has an ‘unhealthy relationship with alcohol’. Too much drinking carries with it heavy personal, economic, health and societal costs. The combination of being home-bound, feeling extraordinary stress or fear, as well as the cultural tendency to turn to both sex
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A new study published by the University of Sydney has revealed that up to one in 28 Australians (3.64 per cent) may live with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), a figure that translates to one child in every classroom or two adults on a bus during peak hour. The research, published in June 2025, identifies
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
Every parent wants to give their child the best possible start in life. But certain lifestyle choices during pregnancy can have lasting implications, even in ways that are not immediately visible. Recent research has shed light on how prenatal alcohol exposure—even in low to moderate amounts—can impact children’s development, particularly their physical and cognitive health.
The Influence of Prenatal Alcohol Exposure on Facial Features Read More »
The Devastating Scale of Australia’s FASD Crisis Australia holds a troubling distinction in the global health landscape, maintaining one of the highest rates of prenatal alcohol exposure worldwide. As of 2023, 28% of women continue to consume alcohol during pregnancy, representing a significant improvement from 42% in 2013 but still affecting approximately 90,000 births annually.
