Irish Central (UK) - Guinness is not good for you- if you are pregnant says Diageo
Diageo, the drink company backing Guinness, Baileys, and Smirnoff Office, has started a €4 million initiative to have midwives explain to pregnant mothers the dangers of drinking while expecting. The funds will also cover a new online course and various packages.
YLE News (Finland) - TS: More demand for addiction services among expectant mothers
Expectant mothers using drugs or alcohol are increasingly common in Finland. According to the Turku newspaper Turun Sanomat, hospitals are reporting a rise in the number of expectant mothers in need of specialist treatment to deal with drug or alcohol problems.
gather (UK) - Baby Dies After Mum Breastfeeds Drunk
A mother who killed her baby after breastfeeding while drunk has warned others about the dangers of alcohol. An inquest into the death of Naomi Rose found that mum Emma Hurst had fallen asleep while breastfeeding, after drinking a bottle of wine. Naomi's body was found by her father, Allen, 42.
BMJ (UK) - Women told that they must abstain from alcohol in pregnancy, in campaign financed by drinks industry
Drinks giant Diageo is funding a training scheme that aims to teach midwives to advise expectant mothers of the risks of drinking alcohol during pregnancy. The scheme, run by the National Organisation for Foetal Alcohol Syndrome (NOFAS-UK), hopes to reach 10 000 midwives and one million pregnant women over five years.
The Clinton News (USA) - It's simple: If you're pregnant, stay away from alcohol
It's estimated that at least 55% of women are drinking at the time they become pregnant and some of them continue to drink heavily throughout their pregnancy. Unlike genetic disorders, FASD has a direct behavioral cause and the damage is permanent.
The Australian (Australia) - Kids blighted by alcohol damage
THOUSANDS of Australian children are likely suffering from undiagnosed alcohol-related birth defects. While the most tragic cases of fetal alcohol syndrome are obvious -- the key symptoms of growth deficiency and smaller than normal skull size are easy to recognise -- a large number of alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorders continues to be missed by the medical profession.
Herald Sun (Australia) - Clinic to target baby alcohol disorders
AUSTRALIA's first screening and diagnostic service for children with alcohol-related birth defects could be up and running by the end of the year.
Winnipeg Free Press (Canada) - Clinic opens a new front in FASD war
An inner-city health clinic is launching a program for pregnant addicts that could help fight fetal alcohol spectrum disorder in a neighbourhood where nearly a quarter of new mothers admit to drinking while pregnant.
Ninemsn (USA) - Study examines fetal alcohol effects
Drinking during pregnancy can lead to children who, in later life, appear before the criminal courts. The Alcohol Education & Rehabilitation Foundation (AER Foundation) says fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) are the most common, preventable cause of disabilities and brain damage in children, triggered by exposure to alcohol during pregnancy.
MATERIALS and EVENTS
Wttw - Pregnancy & Alcohol
The effects of fetal alcohol syndrome are well-documented. So why is there controversy over how much an expectant mother should drink during pregnancy? Joining us on Chicago Tonight at 7:00 pm is Dr. Ira Chasnoff, a leading local pediatrician and the author of The Mystery of Risk: Drugs, Alcohol, Pregnancy and the Vulnerable Child.
2011 AIA Teleconference Series - Assessing for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders in Children
PRESENTERS: Catherine Hargrove, JD and Cecily Hardin, LCSW
DATE: Wednesday, July 13
Estimates suggest that nearly 70% of children in foster care are affected by fetal alcohol exposure to some degree. While only medical personnel can provide a formal diagnosis of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, this training will educate human service workers about key symptoms and characteristics of children with a Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder to streamline early diagnosis and care.
What Corrections Need to Know about FASD
Educational video targeted to the criminal court and corrections professionals to raise awareness about Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), the leading preventable cause of mental retardation, focusing on the impact of prenatal alcohol exposure to brain functioning and subsequent legal implications.
RESEARCH
MDPI - Prevalence of Children with Severe Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders in Communities Near Rome, Italy: New Estimated Rates Are Higher than Previous Estimates
These rates are substantially higher than previous estimates of FAS and overall FASD for the general populations of Western Europe and the U. S., and raise questions as to the total impact of FASD on mental deficit in mainstream populations of Western Europe and the United States where the majority are middle class and are not believed to be characterized by heavy episodic drinking.
LANGUAGE IMPAIRMENTS IN CHILDREN WITH FETAL ALCOHOL SPECTRUM DISORDER
This study identified several areas of marked difficulty in children with FASD, adding to the current understanding of language development in this population. The results have implications for tailoring early interventions, and for providing evidence-based support to children prenatally exposed to alcohol.
Alcoholism - Alcohol in Pregnancy: Attitudes, Knowledge, and Information Practice Among Midwives in Denmark 2000 to 2009
The attitudes toward and beliefs and knowledge about drinking in pregnancy among midwives have changed along with a change in official policy. The change was mostly independent of personal characteristics of the midwives, including age, gender, and place of work.
Alcohol and Alcoholism - Combined Pre- and Postnatal Ethanol Exposure in Rats Disturbs the Myelination of Optic Axons
Disturbed myelination of optic axons, caused by EtOH abuse, strongly disrupts the optic nerve development and the establishment of definitive retinal and optic nerve targets, and subsequently the visual patterns.
