The 11th Annual Fetal Alcohol Canadian Expertise (FACE) Research Roundtable will be held on September 14, 2010 in Vancouver, BC. The program will include updates on 6 Canadian Foundation on Fetal Alcohol Research Works in Progress and 24 Research Posters on a range of topics from language impairment and sleep disorders in children with FASD to early primary school outcomes and parenting tools. All poster abstracts can be viewed at here. Check out the poster abstract for the Canada Northwest FASD Research Network below.
The Canada Northwest FASD Research Network
Clarren SK, Salmon A, Sherbuck M
Background: The Canada Northwest FASD Research Network (CanFASD Northwest) began when Ministers from the western provinces and northern territories realized that they needed meaningful data collected and
translated in ways capable of informing public policy in various aspects of FASD. The structure of the organization evolved through forums held with those actively engaged in FASD work. We learned that over 170 projects on various aspects of FASD were underway in Western and Northern Canada. Virtually none of them was being assessed, few were talking to or learning from one another. It is clear that FASD can only be advanced if diagnosis, intervention, and prevention are considered together.
Approaches used: CanFASD Northwest identified five priority areas for research, and developed five corresponding Network Action Teams (NATs)
committed to bridging these knowledge gaps.
Results: This poster provides an overview of the organizational structure of CanFASD Northwest and advances in knowledge achieved by the NATs. NATs have: 1) established accurate multiethnic norms for
palpebral fissure measurements; 2) established clinical standards for assessing diffuse brain dysfunction typical in FASD; 3) developed a method for consistently collecting medical information in diagnostic clinics; 4) evaluated the evidence for effectiveness of primary prevention campaigns regarding alcohol use in pregnancy; 5) begun research examining outcomes of mother mentoring programs; 6) identified opportunities for incorporating FASD prevention into the range of systems and programs that serve women with substance use problems; and 7) completed an evidence review examining effectiveness of interventions addressing the needs of people with FASD.
Girls, Women, Alcohol, and Pregnancy 