WHO focuses attention on FASD
The World Health Organization has prepared a DRAFT GLOBAL STRATEGY TO REDUCE HARMFUL USE OF ALCOHOL, which will be presented at the 63rd World Health Assembly,17-22 May 2010. Item 21 c, of the section Policy Options and Interventions, states goals of “improving capacity for prevention of, identification of, and interventions for individuals and families living with fetal alcohol syndrome and a spectrum of associated disorders”. More info here.
High rates of epilepsy and seizures associated with FASD
Children suffering from the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) may be prone to developing epilepsy and seizures, suggests study conducted at Queens University. The study quotes about 6 percent subjects to have had epilepsy and 12 percent to have had one or more seizures in their lifetime. More info here.
Conference at the Europarliament, Brussels, 2 February, 2010
A parliamentary conference was told there are "no safe levels" for alcohol consumption during pregnancy. More info here.
New program for teens and young adults with FASD
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has awarded Saint Louis University a grant to develop and test a new program to help older children and young adults with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). More info here.
Irish Medical Organization calls for alcohol warnings
The IMO has called for “explicit Government health warnings” on alcoholic beverages, and the curtailment of alcohol advertising and cost promotions, in a submission to Health Minister Mary Harney, after she sought submissions on her proposals to introduce legislation to allow health advice/warnings on alcohol containers and promotional materials. In its submission, the Organisation recommends alcoholic drinks carry warnings on the dangers of drinking during pregnancy, with specific reference to foetal alcohol syndrome. More info here.
Expert Conference on Alcohol and Health
The backdrop to the conference, held on 21-22 September 2009 in Stockholm, Sweden, is the unacceptably high level of alcohol-related
harm in the EU. One of the issues Sweden has chosen to highlight during its Presidency is ongoing work on reducing alcohol-related harm.
The number one goal of the EU Alcohol Strategy is to protect children, young people and unborn children from alcohol-related harm.
And it was this goal that was the theme of the first day of the conference. For more info and to view the presentations and webcasts, click on
your choice of language.
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Eurocare's Alcohol and Pregnancy Conference
Over 100 people attended the Conference Eurocare held in the European Parliament to mark the ”International Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) Awareness Day” on Wednesday 9th September 2009. The Conference was jointly organized by Eurocare and the Swedish Presidency of the European Union. This meeting brought together public authorities and experts who shared their experiences and good practices, and discussed the different policy options to curb incidence of FASD. For more info, conference report and presentations, click here.
Pre-announcement: First European Conference on FASD
Wednesday through Friday, November 3 to 5, 2010.
This conference will be held in the conference center of the medieval Rolduc monastery in Kerkrade, Netherlands, near
Maastricht. The conference is hosted by the FAS Foundation of the Netherlands. More info here.
Launch of Fetal Alcohol Forum Newsletter
To increase recognition of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) and to promote collaboration between medical professionals, Lord Mitchell and the National Organisation for Fetal Alcohol Syndrome – UK (NOFAS-UK) brought together Presidents of the Royal Colleges, leading researchers and healthcare professionals to launch the FETAL ALCOHOL FORUM. The inaugural meeting took place in the House of Lords, London, England in January 2009. To subscribe to this bi-annual e-newsletter, click here.
German television documentary on drinking during pregnancy
On Sunday evening, May 10, the German television show Mona Lisa aired a 30 minute documentary on alcohol during pregnancy. View show here. [DE]
3rd Dutch national symposium on FASD
The 3rd Dutch national symposium on FASD, co-organized by the FAS polyclinic of the Gelre Hospital in Zutphen and the FAS Foundation of the Netherlands, was held on Saturday, March 28, in Zutphen. Dr. Susan Astley presented recent brain-imaging studies and held a workshop on the 4-digit diagnostic code. Dr. Hester van Wieringen presented the results of FAS reporting in the Netherlands, while Dr. Rudi Kohl presented first data from the FAS polyclinic. Dr. Laurent Servais described the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on function of Purkinje cells. In the afternoon, workshops focussed on various aspects of diagnosis and support of children with FAS. The conference was attended by physicians, addiction workers, midwives and other professionals, as well as parents (150 attendees).
Groningen--Symposium on children of addicted parents
A symposium was held on Thursday, February 5, 2009 in Groningen, organized by the Verslavingszorg Noord Nederland (drug and alcohol addiction bureau of the northern Netherlands). While the range of talks was broad, much attention was given to the problems of alcohol and pregnancy by three speakers, Dr. Hans-Ludwig Spohr (Berlin), Dr. Raja Mukherjee (London), and Dr. Inge van Balkom (Groningen). For more information, click here. [NL]
New German website
This new site, launched by Dr. Reinhold Feldmann of Muenster, gives a historical and diagnostic description of FAS, including photos of the common physical deformities; describes the history of work on FAS in Muenster; lists publications of Dr. Feldmann and summarizes recent research on FAS; and gives an agenda of FAS-related events in Germany and other countries. Click here. [DE]
Scandinavian television commercial
This short film is being shown on Swedish television and in cinemas. It was imported from Finland and will probably be viewed in Norway as well. The message says "Think it over: in whose company are you getting drunk?" View here. [SE]
Germany: FASD--A Life Sentence
Dr. Ludwig Spohr and Hans-Christoph Steinhausen report that almost 4000 babies are born yearly with alcohol-related defects in Germany.
Their studies confirm the disastrous consequences of prenatal exposure into adulthood.
Free full text. [EN]