Publications

Australian Guidelines for Assessment and Diagnosis of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: Overview of the Development Process and Revised Diagnostic Criteria

The Australian Guidelines for the Assessment and Diagnosis of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder were released in May 2025. These guidelines, updated from the 2016 Australian Guide, were developed through extensive stakeholder consultation, a comprehensive review of empirical evidence and the application of a novel Grading of Recommendations, Development and Evaluation (GRADE)-based approach for developing evidence-based diagnostic criteria.

Publishing Date:

8 March, 2026
Journal Name:

The Medical Journal of Australia
Authors:

Natasha Reid, Nicole Hewlett, Nicole Hayes, Zachary Munn, Haydn Till, Delyse Hutchinson, James Stewart, Max Naglazas, Andrea Crawford, Raewyn C. Mutch, Carmela F. Pestell, Rowena Friend, Lisa K. Akison, Chelsea Vanderpeet, Prue Walker, Matthew Gullo, Doug Shelton, Elizabeth J. Elliott, Fiona Kay, Katrina Harris, Jayden Logan, Storm Anderson, Natalie R. Kippin, Seema Padencheri, Sophie Harrington, Diana Barnett, Kelly Skorka, Robyn Doney, Philippa Middleton

Iron Depletion in the Substantia Nigra of Children With Prenatal Alcohol Exposure

Animal studies suggest PAE disrupts fetal iron homeostasis, but direct evidence in the human brain is lacking. Because iron is essential for neurodevelopmental processes including myelination, neurotransmitter synthesis, and energy metabolism, perturbations in iron deposition may represent a modifiable mechanism linking PAE to adverse outcomes. The aim of this study was to explore whether PAE is associated with brain iron levels at age 7 years, assessed using quantitative susceptibility mapping MRI.

Publishing Date:

5 March, 2026
Journal Name:

Wiley Online Library
Authors:

Francesca Alves, Amir Fazollahi, Pawel Kalinowski, Peter Anderson, Evelyne Muggli, Claire Kelly, Anne Louise Ponsonby, Deanne Thompson, Scott Ayton

Policy implementation learnings from the introduction of a mandatory alcohol pregnancy warning label

Policy makers lack guidance on effective ways to introduce alcohol warnings, making it important to document the experiences of early adopter countries. Aims of this study were to (i) assess uptake of a mandated pregnancy warning label in Australia, (ii) identify the placement of the warning on products (i.e. front, back, side, top, or bottom), and (iii) compare the results for (i) and (ii) between 2023 and 2024 to provide insights into industry willingness to engage with the policy.

Publishing Date:

16 December, 2025
Journal Name:

Health Promotion International
Authors:

Simone Pettigrew, Tazman Davies, Asad Yusoff, Bella Sträuli, Paula O’Brien, Michelle I Jongenelis, Tim Stockwell, Alexandra Jones, Julia Stafford, Aimee Brownbill, Fraser Taylor, Jacqueline Bowden

Application of a Minimum Prenatal Alcohol Exposure Threshold for Diagnosis of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: A Retrospective Chart Review

The Australian Guidelines for Assessment and Diagnosis of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (2025) introduce a minimum PAE threshold, unlike the 2016 Guide to FASD Diagnosis, which allowed for diagnosis at any exposure level. This retrospective case review evaluates whether applying the minimum PAE threshold would alter diagnostic outcomes for individuals previously assessed for FASD at a specialist neurodevelopmental clinic in Queensland.

Publishing Date:

27 November, 2025
Journal Name:

Drug and Alcohol Review, Wiley Online
Authors:

Eleanor Robinson, Karen Liddle, Khari Garavelis, Chelsea Vanderpeet, Jennifer McAuliffe, Natasha Reid

Out-of-Home Care in Central Australia—A Retrospective Audit of Health Needs and Timeliness of Assessment Compared to the National Clinical Assessment Framework

The aim of this study is to evaluate the health and developmental concerns for children in out-of-home care in Central Australia and assess whether they received timely and comprehensive paediatric health assessments.

Publishing Date:

17 November, 2025
Journal Name:

Wiley Online Library
Authors:

Jade Woon, Annie Kilpatrick, Karen McLean

Renal and cardiovascular function in children with FASD: Potential links to food approach and avoidance behaviors

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is associated with a range of developmental, behavioral, and physical impairments. While much research to date has focused on developmental and behavioral aspects of FASD, there is growing evidence that children with FASD may experience alterations in renal and cardiovascular function. By also comparing eating behaviors between children with FASD and typically developing children, this may provide some clues to the underlying causes of these physiological changes.

Publishing Date:

16 November, 2025
Journal Name:

Wiley Online Library
Authors:

Natasha Reid, Jayden Logan, Khari Garavelis, Jinyang Yang, Nicole Hayes, Chelsea Vanderpeet, Karen Liddle, Sophia Young, Maree Maloney, Emily Sullivan, Karen Moritz, Lisa Akison