Prenatal Alcohol Exposure: Advancing Knowledge Through International Collaborations

Abstract

Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is a major public health issue that is evident on an international scale. The current article summarizes a meeting that was held in Valencia, Spain, in September 2001, that reviewed ongoing international collaborations and the prospects for new collaborative research. The attendees represented nine different countries and many different specialties. Following overviews of existing international collaborations in South Africa, Russia, and Chile, a number of topics for future work were discussed. Issues related to the diagnosis of FAS, its prevalence and how measures might be enhanced and standardized were presented, as obtaining consistency across populations is of prime importance. Another session discussed the current state of basic research and how collaborations in this area might be initiated. The neurobehavioral profile of FAS and how work in this area could be advanced and interpreted in light of findings with different populations generated considerable discussion. There was a review of brain imaging data in FAS and how this might be utilized in assisting the diagnosis of FAS and alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder (ARND). A presentation on the utilization of international collaborations in defining the role of genetics in the etiology of FAS was included. Finally, issues related to the prevention of FAS and how these issues might be modified based upon different populations were presented. International collaborations provide a wealth of resources for the study of FAS, and it was hoped that this meeting might better enhance the work ongoing in this area, and provide opportunities for future work.

Children With Heavy Prenatal Alcohol Exposure Demonstrate Deficits on Multiple Measures of Concept Formation

“…Current research in the field of prenatal alcohol exposure has focused on determining a profile of strengths and weaknesses in order to improve diagnostic specificity (Riley et al., 2003). Lower intellectual functioning is a common outcome in children with prenatal alcohol exposure and it is important to determine whether deficits in other cognitive domains are specific to prenatal alcohol exposure or are secondary to global reductions in IQ.…”

“…The second goal of the current study was to examine the relationship between concept formation and general intellectual functioning in children with heavy prenatal alcohol exposure. Assessment of relative strengths and weaknesses in this population will assist in the definition of a cognitive profile or profiles, which is currently being sought (Riley et al., 2003). Little information exists regarding the relationship of concept formation or other executive function measures to general intellectual function.…”

Caudate Volume Predicts Neurocognitive Performance in Youth with Heavy Prenatal Alcohol Exposure

“…To date, fewer studies have characterized anomalies in brain structure in relation to cognitive performance in youth with FASD, although meaningful brain structure‐function relationships have been described in this population (cf., Coles et al., ; Li et al., ; Sowell et al., ). The identification of specific neurobehavioral phenotypes associated with fetal alcohol‐related brain abnormalities remains a research priority in the field and could be useful in improving identification and diagnosis across the fetal alcohol spectrum (Mattson and Riley, ; Mattson et al., ; Riley et al., ; Stratton et al., ). In this study, we relate structural brain alterations to neurocognitive deficits commonly associated with FASD.…”

Comparison of Adaptive Behavior in Children With Heavy Prenatal Alcohol Exposure or Attention‐Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

“…A current aim of fetal alcohol research is to focus on cognitive and behavioral outcomes, and to better delineate neurobehavioral strengths and weaknesses on several domains of function in order to improve identification (Riley et al., 2003). Delineation of such profiles requires assessment of their specificity by comparing alcohol‐exposed individuals to similar clinical groups, rather than outlining deficits only in relation to typically developing children.…”