Publications

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) encompasses a range of difficulties caused by prenatal alcohol exposure. It is a significant but under-recognized and under-diagnosed public health issue in Australia. With the development of a new Commonwealth FASD Strategy (2018–2028) and substantial government funding for prevention, diagnosis, and intervention, it is crucial to review the current state of FASD in Australia and identify areas for future research and service improvements.

A new Commonwealth FASD Strategy (2018–2028) is being developed and the Australian Government has announced significant funding for the expansion of FASD prevention, diagnostic and intervention services around Australia. Therefore, it is timely to consider what the current state of affairs regarding FASD in Australia is and describe areas for future research and service delivery. This review was published in 2020

This study aims to establish the current knowledge, attitudes, experiences and practices regarding FASD and other neurodevelopmental impairments among youth custodial officers in order to develop training resources for this workforce.

Prenatal alcohol exposure leads to cognitive, behavioral, and neurological deficits in offspring, highlighting the urgent need for effective treatments. Maternal choline supplementation has emerged as a potential intervention. This review examined preclinical and clinical studies on choline supplementation in cases of fetal alcohol exposure to assess its effectiveness. A systematic search of six electronic databases identified 22 relevant studies (including randomized controlled trials, prospective cohort studies, and preclinical research). Choline's success in preventing deficits varied depending on the timing of intervention relative to alcohol exposure. While preclinical studies showed significant improvements across various outcomes, only one clinical study demonstrated benefits in infants' information processing. The findings suggest that choline supplementation may help mitigate deficits caused by prenatal alcohol exposure, particularly in preclinical models. However, further clinical trials are needed to evaluate its broader effectiveness in children.

In the 2009 National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Australian Guidelines to Reduce Health Risks from Drinking, a guideline specific to lactating women was included. For the first time the effect of alcohol at this important developmental stage was nationally and internationally acknowledged. To determine the degree to which maternal health practitioners adopted an Australian national policy guideline (Guideline 4B) on alcohol and breastfeeding into their everyday health practice and the factors associated with adoption. A convenience sample of participants completed an online survey based on the Nursing Practice Questionnaire (NPQ) to elicit measures of knowledge, awareness and practice implementation.

Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) is often linked to significant challenges in self-regulation. Interventions aimed at improving self-regulation in this population have been developed, but further progress could be achieved through the application of a multilevel theoretical framework that describes the development of self-regulation in early childhood. This framework could clarify the mechanisms underlying early adjustment problems in children with PAE and guide the creation of more targeted assessments and interventions. This review aims to: (1) provide an overview of the self-regulatory framework proposed by Calkins and colleagues, (2) examine common self-regulatory difficulties in children with PAE during infancy and early childhood within this developmental context, and (3) explore how the framework can enhance future assessment and intervention efforts for young children affected by PAE. Applying this developmental framework offers a systematic and theory-based approach to improving outcomes for young children with PAE.