9th International Research
Conference on FASD in March 2025: Program & Registration now available!
March 20 –
23, 2025
The Hyatt Regency, Seattle, WA
This
advanced-level conference/meeting (previously held in Vancouver*) continues to
bring together global experts from multiple disciplines to share international
research. From pure science, to prevention, diagnosis, and intervention across
the lifespan, the conference will address the implications of this research and
promote scientific/community collaboration. It provides an opportunity to
enhance understanding of the relationships between knowledge and research and
critical actions related to FASD. First held in 1987, the conference brings
together people passionate about this work in a stimulating environment where
they can learn and forge new partnerships.
This isn’t
just a conference—it is a chance to connect with global leaders, gain
cutting-edge insights, and collaborate with professionals dedicated to
advancing FASD research. Whether you’re a seasoned researcher or a passionate
advocate, this conference is designed to inspire and enhance your impact.
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NEWS and ARTICLES
FARE Australia – National campaign about alcohol, pregnancy, and breastfeeding delivers $236m benefit to Australians
A groundbreaking campaign to support alcohol-free pregnancies and safe breastfeeding practices has reduced the cost of alcohol harms in Australia by $236 million, according to a new report.
Read more
Scoop – New Zealand News – People With Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
(FASD) Dismayed At Government’s Response To The Rights Of Disabled People
The organisation supporting people with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
(FASD) and their families is shocked at the government’s response to the
recommendations of the review on the rights of disabled people in Aotearoa
announced yesterday.
Read more
WesternSlopeNow.com (USA) – New Legislation
Will Increase Awareness and Deliver Support to Individuals with FASD: The FASD
Respect Act of 2025
U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), along with five
other original cosponsors, have introduced legislation that will advance
comprehensive Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) support services, public
health prevention, and research programs across agencies within the U.S.
Departments of Health and Human Services.
Read more
News-Medical – New research sheds light on
brain damage caused by fetal alcohol exposure
In a new study in JNeurosci led by Amy Griffin at the University of
Delaware, researchers used rats to find brain circuits that may contribute to
the cognitive issues that FASD patients experience, with the end goal of
informing treatment strategies.
Read more
EurekAlert – How prenatal alcohol exposure
affects behavior into adulthood
Rodent study identifies a brain circuit that is disrupted by alcohol
exposure during prenatal development and contributes to poor decision-making in
adulthood
Read more
Synapse – Changing outcomes for people with
FASD
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) has a profound impact on individuals
from birth and as they age. Understanding FASD as a brain injury is
instrumental in achieving better outcomes for people.
Read more
Chidren in Scotland – Dispelling the myths
of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
Estimated to impact 3-5% of the entire population and 20% of children and
young people in the care experienced community, the importance of increasing
awareness and education on the symptoms and impact of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum
Disorder (FASD) is plain to see.
Read more
FARE Australia – ‘My FASD diagnosis
illuminated the deep fog of misunderstanding and misdiagnosis’
March 2025 will mark six years since I received my Fetal Alcohol Spectrum
Disorder (FASD) diagnosis — a life-changing confirmation that my mother and I
spent four very difficult years seeking — desperate for the acknowledgment and
support of healthcare professionals, for what we had come to realise was true:
That my brain and body had been irrevocably damaged by alcohol exposure in the
first trimester of my mother’s pregnancy.
Read more
UK Government and Parliament (UK) – Fund
improved care and support for individuals with FASD
Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is a disability affecting both
children and adults, but there is a lack of awareness among healthcare
professionals and the public.
Read more
VIDEOS and MATERIALS
Lisa Dion | Synergetic Play Therapy Institute – Unveiling Fetal Alcohol
Spectrum Disorders (FASDs) Through a Play Therapy Lens
n this episode, Lisa reconnects with Natascha Lawrence, a Synergetic Play
Therapy Supervisor, EMDR Practitioner, and founder of the FASD Institute, for
an essential conversation about supporting children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum
Disorders (FASDs) through play therapy.
Read more
NENC Child Health and Wellbeing Network – Network
Huddle: Understanding Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
This Huddle session will enable you to learn more about FASD, how it
impacts those affected by it, and how best to support children, young people
and families living with the condition. You will hear from expert speakers
followed by an extended Q&A and discussion segment.
Read more
Formed Families Forward – FASD webinar 2025
Understanding Therapy Options for FASD
Presented live on January 28, 2025, as part of the Formed Families Forward
Winter FASD Webinar series, this webinar was presented by Jessica Wilson, LCSW.
Read more
Las Vegas Morning Blend – Empowering Voices
Emily Hargrove Advocates for FASD Awareness
Join Emily Hargrove, a PhD candidate, author, and advocate, as she shares
her personal journey with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD).
Read more
FASD United – Legal Training: Determining
the Severity Levels of FASD From Foster Care to Inmates on Death Row
Read more
MotherToBaby – Living with FASD – The
MotherToBaby Podcast
In this episode, Jenn Wisdahl, Chief Operating Officer at the non-profit
FASD United, and Laura Bousquet, a mother to a young adult son diagnosed with
FASD in his teens, join host Chris Stallman, CGC to discuss challenges many
families with lived FASD experience face.
Read more
Perfectly Imperfect – The basic on FASD –
The 5 types of FASD
Today we talk about the five types of FASD why Canada recognizes FASD as a
fully diagnostic term and why other countries do not and just see it as an
umbrella term.
Read more
B.C.’s Representative for Children and Youth –
Too Many Left Behind – Children and Youth with Disabilities Need Support Now
Disability advocates speak up about the lack of supports received by
children and youth with disabilities and the impact it has on them and their
families.
Read more
The Health Brief – What Is The Treatment
And Support For Fetal Alcohol Syndrome?
In this video, we will discuss the various treatment and support options
available for individuals affected by FAS.
Read more
RESEARCH
Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders – Regional hippocampal thinning and
gyrification abnormalities and associated cognition in children with prenatal
alcohol exposure
We used a novel MRI method to evaluate hippocampal structure in children
with PAE and an unexposed comparison group. The data suggest that PAE disrupts
hippocampal development, impacting both the early-stage folding of the
structure and its ultimate thickness.
Read more
The Journal of Neuroscience – Choice
Behaviors and Prefrontal-Hippocampal Coupling are Disrupted in a Rat Model of
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders
We show that alcohol exposure disrupts choice behaviors and
prefrontal-hippocampal functional connectivity during a working memory task,
identifying the prefrontal-hippocampal network as a potential therapeutic
target in FASD treatment.
Read more
Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment – Multidimensional
Scaling of the Wechsler Intelligence Scales for Children in a Clinical Sample
Assessed for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)
The findings demonstrate an alternative interpretation approach for
intelligence tests in children with prenatal alcohol exposure, which may
complement existing FASD diagnostic frameworks.
Read more
Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual
Science – Preconception Paternal Alcohol Consumption Elicits Postnatal
Changes in Neural Retinas of the Offspring
This study provides pioneering evidence that PPAC contributes to
FASD-related ocular defects including negative impacts on retinal light
responses and retinal thinning in young adult offspring.
Read more
Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health – Foetal
Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) and the Courts: How England and Wales Could
Benefit From Following an Australian Model
In some countries, for example, England and Wales, it seems likely that
many cases are missed at this point and, thus, courts are at risk of making
unsafe judgements.
Read more
Nutrients – Cobalamin Status Among Patients
with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)—A Preliminary Study
Our study did not find any deficits of vitamin B12 and its metabolites in
patients with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. Further studies to investigate
the role of vitamin B12 in the pathogenesis of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder
should be established given the fact that both high and low levels of vitamin
B12 may have negative health impacts.
Read more
Interdisciplinary Journal of Sociality Studies
– Foetal alcohol syndrome disorder in South Africa: Understanding the
enablers of alcohol consumption during pregnancy
Effective mitigation strategies require culturally sensitive public health
campaigns, enhanced early diagnosis in rural areas, and trauma-informed,
non-judgmental healthcare practices.
Read more
Quality in Sport – Fetal Alcohol Syndrome:
Impact on Neurodevelopment, Diagnosis, Early Intervention and Motor Disorders
in Children under 3 Years
This review highlights the impact of prenatal alcohol exposure on motor
skill development, particularly the persistence of primitive reflexes in
infants with FAS, which is indicative of CNS immaturity and necessitates early
therapeutic interventions.
Read more
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience – The
Association between Neighborhood Environment, Prenatal Exposure to Alcohol and
Tobacco, and Structural Brain Development
The current study aimed to examine whether neighborhood environment is
associated with brain volume at age 9 to 11, and whether prenatal exposure to
alcohol or tobacco modifies this relationship.
Read more
Neurobiology of Language – The Effects of
Prenatal Alcohol Exposure on Structural Brain Connectivity and Early Language
Skills in A South African Birth Cohort
Our findings show weak moderation effects of PAE on structural language
network properties and language skills.
Read more
Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research – One-month
outcomes of a culturally tailored alcohol-exposed pregnancy prevention mobile
app among urban Native young women: A randomized controlled trial of Native
WYSE CHOICES
The NWC app produced trending changes in key areas of knowledge and
behavior that may result in reduced AEP risk among urban Native young women.
Read more
