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UrduPeople exposed to alcohol in utero report a greater range and frequency of physical health problems in midlife than those who were not exposed, according to a new study. Prenatal stressors and difficult early life experiences are known to increase the risk of the early onset of disease in adulthood. A theory on the developmental origins of health and disease implies that risky exposures occurring during pregnancy may increase the offspring’s vulnerability to the effects of subsequent adverse influences. Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) may be one such exposure. Improved understanding of the long-term effects of PAE could lead to improved clinical care for affected people. Identifying areas of concern may also inform early interventions to reduce the long-term impact of PAE. In the study in Alcohol: Clinical & Experimental Research, investigators considered the possible implications of PAE for a wide range of health problems that typically occur as people grow older.
Tag: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
Improved Accuracy of Screening Tools for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder May Lead to Faster Diagnosis and More Timely Intervention
A new screening instrument has the potential to more accurately identify fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), reducing missed and erroneous diagnoses in affected children and facilitating treatment and support, a new study suggests. Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) is a known cause of birth and growth defects and neurobehavioral issues.
Free training manual to help health care providers recognize, diagnose fetal alcohol syndrome
The 55-page handbook, now available in English and soon to be available in Spanish, features sections on prenatal exposure, dysmorphology, neuropsychology, the diagnostic process, and case-based learning modules.
Large Study Highlights Impact of Drinking in Pregnancy in Four US Communities
The consequences of prenatal alcohol exposure have been highlighted by three new reports on fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) in a virtual issue of the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research. FASD is the umbrella term for the continuum of effects caused by prenatal drinking, encompassing the most severe form, fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), and less severe forms including partial fetal alcohol syndrome (pFAS) and alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder (ARND). Children with FAS have poor growth, atypical facial features, and central nervous system problems, and all three conditions require evidence of neurobehavioral impairment for diagnosis.
Neuroimaging links brain region to poor spatial navigation in children affected by prenatal alcohol exposure
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) describe the range of effects associated with prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE). The most severe forms of FASD are fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and partial fetal alcohol syndrome (PFAS), which have adverse effects on learning and memory and result in observable physical abnormalities, including a distinct pattern of facial dysmorphic features, small head circumference, and growth restriction. Identifying the specific brain regions affected is important to fully understand the impact of PAE. Poor spatial skills are common in children with FASD, and tests of navigation in rodents – and more recently, humans – have linked PAE to impairment in ‘place learning’ (the learning of physical positions or locations of objects). Place learning in rodents and humans depends on the hippocampus, a small seahorse-shaped structure in each side of the brain. The hippocampus is particularly sensitive to PAE and is smaller in people (and rodents) exposed to alcohol in
Study Highlights Impact of Drinking in Pregnancy and Informs Regional Prevention Strategies
Drinking in pregnancy can harm a developing baby. The term fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs) describes the range of effects that can be caused by prenatal exposure to alcohol. Children with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), the most severe form, have poor growth, atypical facial features, and central nervous system problems. Less severe forms include partial fetal alcohol syndrome (pFAS) and alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder (ARND). However, all three require evidence of neurobehavioral impairment affecting cognition or behavior (or both). A recent study in a US Pacific Southwest city estimated that, at a minimum, 2% of first-grade schoolchildren had an FASD. A new report in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research describes the range of FASD among these children and the characteristics of their mothers.