Publications

This study aims to integrate cultural considerations and developmental screening into a First Nations child health check. The 'Share and Care Check', an optimised child health check, was co-designed with a remote Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation and led by Aboriginal Health Practitioners/Workers. Data obtained from questions regarding cultural and developmental aspects of health can assist health providers regarding the best pathway of support for a child and their family. This could ultimately contribute to closing the gap through the provision of holistic culturally appropriate services. This paper was published in 2022.

Accurate information on dose, frequency and timing of maternal alcohol consumption is critically important when investigating fetal risks from prenatal alcohol exposure. Identification of distinct alcohol use behaviours can also assist in developing directed public health messages about possible adverse child outcomes, including FASD. This study published in 2022 aimed to determine group-based trajectories of time-specific, unit-level, alcohol consumption using data from 1458 pregnant women in the Asking Questions about Alcohol in Pregnancy (AQUA) longitudinal study in Melbourne, Australia.

The aims of this systematic review published in 2022 are to identify FASD screening tools and examine their performance characteristics.

Implementation of antenatal clinical guideline recommendations are implemented for addressing maternal alcohol consumption is sub-optimal There is a complete absence of evidence of the cost and cost-effectiveness of delivering practice change interventions addressing maternal alcohol consumption amongst women accessing maternity services. The study sought to determine the cost, cost-consequence and cost-effectiveness of developing and delivering a multi-strategy practice change intervention in three sectors of a health district in New South Wales, Australia.

Impairments caused by pre-natal alcohol exposure contribute to the over-representation of individuals with FASD in the United States juvenile and adult criminal justice systems. These same impairments can equally impact on individuals with FASD who are witnesses to or victims of crime who also have to navigate the complexities of the criminal justice system. Individuals with FASD are particularity at risk of confabulation when they are subjected to tactics, such as stressful and anxiety-provoking situations, threats, and leading, suggestive, or coercive questioning. This article serves as a beginner's guide for professionals working in criminal justice settings by (a) providing research-based overviews of FASD and confabulation, (b) describing how FASD may lead to confabulation, and (c) suggesting ways that professionals can modify protocols when interacting with individuals with FASD.

This paper published in February 2022 outlines developments for the prevention of FASD and the diagnosis and support of children and young people living with FASD in Australia. It describes some of the key policy and practice initiatives since 2016, including the National FASD Strategic Action Plan 2018-2028, and considers further opportunities for responding to the needs of children and families affected by FASD. This paper is intended to provide an overview of the key issues for child and family practitioners who may encounter children and families living with FASD.