Fetal alcohol syndrome disorders: experience on the field. The Lazio study preliminary report (original) (raw)
Related papers
2007
In Italy, little is known about the spectrum of adverse fetal effects related to maternal alcohol use during pregnancy. In this paper, we report on the phenotype of Italian children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). These data were gathered as part of a field study assessing the prevalence of FASD in children in an in-school study in a rural area near Rome. The purposes of this paper are: (1) to completely characterize the clinical phenotype of a large cohort of Italian children with FASD; (2) to correlate and contrast the phenotype of this population with that observed in other populations and reported in the medical literature; (3) to discuss the drinking habits of Italian women, before, during and after pregnancy; and (4) to suggest mechanisms for intervention and prevention of FASD based on data gathered from this study. r
Maternal risk factors for fetal alcohol spectrum disorders in a province in Italy
Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 2014
Background: Maternal risk factors for fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) in Italy and Mediterranean cultures need clarification, as there are few studies and most are plagued by inaccurate reporting of antenatal alcohol use. Methods: Maternal interviews (n = 905) were carried out in a population-based study of the prevalence and characteristics of FASD in the Lazio region of Italy which provided data for multivariate case control comparisons and multiple correlation models. Results: Case control findings from interviews seven years post-partum indicate that mothers of children with FASD are significantly more likely than randomly-selected controls or community mothers to: be shorter; have higher body mass indexes (BMI); be married to a man with legal problems; report more drinking three months pre-pregnancy; engage in more current drinking and drinking alone; and have alcohol problems in her family. Logistic regression analysis of multiple candidate predictors of a FASD diagnosis indicates that alcohol problems in the child's family is the most significant risk factor, making a diagnosis within the continuum of FASD 9 times more likely (95% C.I. = 1.6 to 50.7). Sequential multiple regression analysis of the child's neuropsychological performance also identifies alcohol problems in the child's family as the only significant maternal risk variable (p < .001) when controlling for other potential risk factors. Conclusions: Underreporting of prenatal alcohol use has been demonstrated among Italian and other Mediterranean antenatal samples, and it was suspected in this sample. Nevertheless, several significant maternal risk factors for FASD have been identified.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2013
Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is a congenital syndrome caused by maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy and is entirely preventable by abstinence from alcohol drinking during this time. Little is known about the prevalence of FAS and maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy in Western countries. We present the results of FAS/partial fetal alcohol syndrome (PFAS) prevalence study and maternal characteristics in a sample of schoolchildren from a rural province of Croatia. This study involved seven elementary schools with 1,110 enrolled children attending 1st to 4th grade and their mothers. We used an active case ascertainment method with passive parental consent and Clarified IOM criteria. The investigation protocol involved maternal data collection and clinical examination of children. Out of 1,110 mothers, 917 (82.6%) answered the questionnaire. Alcohol exposure during pregnancy was admitted by 11.5%, regular drinking by 4.0% and binge drinking by 1.4% of questioned mothers. Clinical examination involved 824 (74.2%) schoolchildren and disclosed 14 (1.7%) with clinical signs of FAS and 41 (5.0%) of PFAS. The observed FAS prevalence, based on 74.2% participation rate, was 16.9, PFAS 49.7 and combined prevalence was 66.7/1,000 examined schoolchildren. This is the first FAS prevalence study based on active ascertainment among schoolchildren and pregnancy alcohol drinking analysis performed in a rural community of Croatia and Europe. High prevalence of FAS/PFAS and pregnancy alcohol consumption observed in this study revealed that FAS is serious health problem in OPEN ACCESS
BMC Pediatrics, 2011
Background: Ethanol is the most widely used drug in the world and a human teratogen whose consumption among women of childbearing age has been steadily increasing. There are no Italian or Spanish statistics on ethanol consumption during pregnancy nor any information regarding prevalence of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). There is also a reasonable suspicion that these two diseases are underdiagnosed by professionals from the above-reported countries. The objectives of this study were: 1) to evaluate the experience, knowledge and confidence of Italian and Spanish neonatologists and paediatricians with respect to the diagnosis of FAS and FASD, and 2) to evaluate professionals awareness of maternal drinking patterns during pregnancy.
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders: Health Needs Assessment in Brazil
Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 2020
Background: Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is a disorder caused by alterations in embryo-fetal development due to prenatal alcohol exposure. It is estimated that between 0.5 and 2 per 1,000 individuals are born with FAS every year. In Brazil, there are few studies addressing the extent of the problem of FAS/FASD; these studies are confined to limited geographic areas. Therefore, we decided to perform a health needs assessment (HNA) for FAS/FASD in Brazil. Methods: To estimate the prevalence of FAS and FASD in Brazil, we used information from the literature, which estimates between 0.5 to 2/1,000 births per year for FAS and 10 to 50/1,000 for FASD. Results: We estimated that approximately 1,500 to 6,000 children are born with FAS every year. Considering the whole population, the prevalence would be 95,377 to 380,000 affected people. However, when we consider FASD as a whole, we estimate that between 1,900,000 and 9,500,000 Brazilians might suffer the more severe consequences of alcohol exposure during pregnancy and be living with FASD. Conclusion: The results of the current study indicate that FAS and FASD are prevalent disorders in Brazil, and more policies targeting alcohol intake during pregnancy must be developed.
2020
1Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Urology, Sapienza University Hospital of Rome, Italy 2Centro Riferimento Alcologico Regione Lazio, ASL Roma 1, Italy 3Department of Pediatrics, Sapienza University Hospital of Rome, Italy 4National Centre on Addiction and Doping, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy 5San Raffaele Roma, Open University, Rome, Italy 6Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, IBBC-CNR, Rome, Italy 7ASUR Marche-AV4, Italy 8Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University Hospital of Rome, Italy 9SITAC, Societa Italiana per Il Trattamento dell’Alcolismo e delle sue Complicanze, Rome, Italy §FASD Study Group Collaborators: Daniela Bertoli, Matilde Canepa, Rosaria Cappadona, Antonietta D’Alessio, Michelangela Danza, Angelo Morese, Antonella Paolino, Fausta Pileri, Nunzia Pinna, Isabella Neri, Roberta Razzano, Alba Ricchi and Mirco Rizzi
FETAL ALCOHOLIC SYNDROME: BIBLIOGRAPHIC REVIEW (Atena Editora)
FETAL ALCOHOLIC SYNDROME: BIBLIOGRAPHIC REVIEW (Atena Editora), 2022
Introduction: Alcohol use has a teratogenic effect throughout pregnancy, especially in the first trimester, and can lead to Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), identified by abnormal facial features, growth failure and neural problems. Goal: The present study aims to review articles in the national and foreign literature on FAS, analyzing causes, consequences and possible actions to prevent alcohol intake by pregnant women. Methodology: Searches for scientific articles were carried out in the virtual databases: SciELO, Google Scholar, PubMed, published between 2010 and 2018, and the most important references for the topic in question were selected. Review: The use of alcohol during pregnancy can harm fetal development and even cause miscarriage. Affected children have phenotypic changes common to Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Spectrum Disorder (FASD) or Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). Among the spectrum diagnoses, FAS is the most severe, evidenced by craniofacial deformities, microcephaly, thin upper lip, smooth philtrum, hearing loss and low birth weight. It can also favor the development of psychiatric illnesses by the mother and the child. Alcohol consumption by women is influenced by economic, personal and social factors. Conclusion: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is dose-dependent, but there is no consensus on the minimum amount. Therefore, its prevention is carried out through abstinence. Since its incidence has increased in Brazil, it constitutes a public health problem. Therefore, immediate interventions are needed to raise awareness among pregnant women and encourage pre- and postnatal care.
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: An International Perspective
Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 2001
This article represents the proceedings of a workshop at the 2000 ISBRA Meeting in Yokohama, Japan. The chairs were Kenneth R. Warren and Faye J. Calhoun. The presentations were (1) Epidemiological research on fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) in the United States, by Philip A. May; (2) An overview of fetal alcohol syndrome in the Western Cape Province of South Africa, by Denis L. Viljoen and Ting-Kai Li; (3) Diagnostic perspectives of fetal alcohol and tobacco syndromes, by Harumi Tanaka; (4) FAS among pupils of special boarding schools and orphanages in Moscow, Russia, by Galina S. Marinicheva and Luther K. Robinson; and (5) Research on FAS and FAE in Germany: Update and perspectives, by Goetz Mundle.