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Study suggests new way to screen infants for fetal alcohol syndrome
March 06, 2008Children who have been diagnosed with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) are more likely to have serious psychiatric and behavioral problems later in life, including a higher risk for dropping out of school, unemployment, and criminal behavior. Studies have shown that early intervention is a key element in minimizing the negative effects of FAS. Unfortunately, the early diagnosis of FAS is not always possible, especially if certain physical characteristics are not present. However, a study scheduled for publication in The Journal of Pediatrics suggests a new way to diagnose infants affected by FAS.
Dr. Jennifer Peterson, currently at the Cleveland Clinic, and colleagues from Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital, Case Western Reserve University, and the Mary Ann Swetland Center for Environmental Health, studied a group of 216 infants whose mothers drank various amounts of alcohol during pregnancy. The levels of fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEE), which are produced when alcohol is broken down in the digestive system, were measured in the first bowel movement of the newborns. The babies were then given developmental tests at the ages of six months, one year, and two years.
Infants with higher levels of FAEE in their first bowel movement were found to be at risk for developmental disorders. According to Dr. Peterson, "Increasing levels of FAEE were significantly associated with poorer mental and psychomotor development during the first two years of life." She also notes that "early intervention for such at risk children could minimize disabilities and improve developmental outcomes." Measuring the levels of FAEE in an infant's first bowel movement could be a useful method for identifying children at risk for FAS, which may make early intervention possible.
Elsevier Health Sciences
Elsevier Health Sciences
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Prenatal drinking, environmental enrichment: effects on neurotrophins are independent of each other
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Eye blinks may help to identify children prenatally exposed to alcohol
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Research Reveals Secrets of Alcohol's Effect on Brain Cells
Alcohol triggers the activation of a variety of genes that can influence the health and activity of brain cells, and new research from Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City sheds light on how that process occurs.
Little evidence that binge drinking while pregnant seriously harms fetus
There is little substantive evidence that binge drinking while pregnant seriously harms the developing fetus, finds a study in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.
Study reveals possible genetic risk for fetal alcohol disorders
New research in primates suggests that infants and children who carry a certain gene variant may be more vulnerable to the ill effects of fetal alcohol exposure.
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