Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

An umbrella term used to describe a pattern of disabilities and abnormalities that result from fetal exposure to ETHANOL during pregnancy. It encompasses a phenotypic range that can vary greatly between individuals, but reliably includes one or more of the following: characteristic facial dysmorphism, FETAL GROWTH RETARDATION, central nervous system abnormalities, cognitive and/or behavioral dysfunction, BIRTH DEFECTS. The level of maternal alcohol consumption does not necessarily correlate directly with disease severity.

Also Known As:

Alcohol Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder; Alcohol-Related Birth Defects; FAE (Fetal Alcohol Effects); FASD; Fetal Alcohol Syndrome; Growth Retardation, Facial Abnormalities, and Central Nervous System Dysfunction; Partial Fetal Alcohol Syndrome; Alcohol Related Birth Defects; Birth Defects, Alcohol-Related; FAEs (Fetal Alcohol Effects); FASDs; Syndrome, Fetal Alcohol; Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder

Networked: 1165 relevant articles (31 outcomes, 186 trials/studies)

Relationship Network

Disease Context: Research Results

Related Diseases

1.	Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders
2.	Neuroinflammatory Diseases
3.	Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)
4.	Craniofacial Abnormalities
5.	Neoplasms (Cancer)

Experts

1.	Koren, Gideon: 27 articles (01/2021 - 01/2003)
2.	Smith, Susan M: 16 articles (03/2022 - 07/2011)
3.	Sulik, Kathleen K: 16 articles (05/2015 - 07/2003)
4.	Valenzuela, C Fernando: 14 articles (01/2018 - 09/2005)
5.	Spong, Catherine Y: 14 articles (12/2012 - 10/2002)
6.	Luo, Jia: 13 articles (05/2022 - 05/2009)
7.	Parnell, Scott E: 13 articles (01/2022 - 10/2006)
8.	Kane, Cynthia J M: 12 articles (11/2021 - 02/2008)
9.	Miranda, Rajesh C: 12 articles (01/2021 - 01/2012)
10.	Charness, Michael E: 12 articles (01/2020 - 07/2003)

Drugs and Biologics

Drugs and Important Biological Agents (IBA) related to Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders:

1.	Ethanol (Ethyl Alcohol)IBA 05/01/2014 - "Although the developing zebrafish has great promise for FASD research, a significant challenge to its wider adoption is the paucity of clear, mechanistic parallels between its ethanol (EtOH) responses and those of nonpiscine, established models. " 01/01/2003 - "These effects in vitro may help to explain the devastating effects of prenatal ethanol exposure in vivo, which contribute to the fetal alcohol syndrome." 01/01/2023 - "Our results show the panorama of the most widespread scientific production in the scientific community on the neurotoxicology of ethanol, a high prevalence was observed in studies that addressed fetal alcohol syndrome and/or the effects of ethanol on neurodevelopment." 11/01/2021 - "The current study evaluates the effects of ethanol on oligodendrocyte-lineage cells, as well as molecules that modulate oligodendrocyte differentiation and function in the cerebellum in a postnatal mouse model of FASD. " 01/01/2019 - "In the present study, one of the most common phenotypes of FASD, cell death within the early developing neural tube, was examined across a genetic reference population in a reverse genetics paradigm with the goal of identifying genetic loci that could influence ethanol (EtOH)-induced apoptosis in the early developing neural tube. "
2.	Choline (Choline Chloride)IBA 01/01/2019 - "Human findings are emerging but in partial alleviation, noteworthy were the demonstration of FASD children who showed improvement after choline treatment while others showed no effect. " 01/01/2021 - "Polymorphisms in SLC44A1 are associated with cognitive improvement in children diagnosed with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder: an exploratory study of oral choline supplementation." 01/01/2022 - "In a previously published 9-month clinical trial of choline supplementation in children with FASD, we reported that postnatal choline was associated with improved performance on a hippocampal-dependent recognition memory task. " 11/01/2013 - "Further examination of the efficacy of choline supplementation in FASD is currently underway. " 12/16/2022 - "The initial study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of choline vs. placebo in 2.5 to 5 year olds with FASD. "
3.	Methylphenidate (Ritalin)FDA LinkGeneric 05/01/2004 - "Methylphenidate is effective in treating attention problems in children with FASD. " 01/01/2022 - "Influence of COMT (rs4680) and DRD2 (rs1076560, rs1800497) Gene Polymorphisms on Safety and Efficacy of Methylphenidate Treatment in Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders." 01/01/2022 - "The main reason for pharmacological treatment of FASD children is attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and methylphenidate (MPH) is the drug of choice. " 03/01/2009 - "Observations and interview transcripts of high prescribing doctors are analyzed to understand the prescribing logic of using psychoactive medication, such as methylphenidate, in young Aboriginal children diagnosed with FASD and/or ADHD. " 01/01/1998 - "Effectiveness of methylphenidate in Native American children with fetal alcohol syndrome and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a controlled pilot study."
4.	Anti-Inflammatory Agents (Anti-Inflammatories)IBA 01/01/2021 - "This suggests that anti-inflammatory agents may be effective in the treatment of FASD." 12/01/2016 - "This suggests that anti-inflammatory agents may be effective in treatment of FASD. "
5.	AntioxidantsIBA 12/01/2018 - "However, most interventions are only assayed in animal models, more clinical trials are needed to show whether antioxidants make an effort against FASD damage." 12/01/2008 - "This study was designed to determine the role of Nrf2 signaling in transcriptional activation of detoxifying and antioxidant genes in an in vivo mouse fetal alcohol syndrome model. " 01/01/2023 - "These findings suggest that antioxidants can be used as a potential therapeutic in the treatment of FASD." 06/29/2021 - "In neurological pathologies caused by environmental agents, such as FASD, EGCG enhances antioxidant defense and regulates placental angiogenesis and neurodevelopmental processes. " 03/01/2015 - "In the present review we will provide the state of art in the evidence for the use of antioxidants as a potential therapeutic strategy for the treatment using whole-embryo and culture cells models of FASD. "
6.	Retinaldehyde (Retinal)IBA 01/01/2021 - "The purpose of this study was to investigate whether retinal thickness, retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) and optic disc area (ODA) differ between individuals with FASD and healthy controls. " 01/01/2021 - "Significant differences in peripapillary and macular RNFL, retinal thickness and BCVA were found in this group of young adults with FASD compared with healthy controls. " 01/01/2021 - "Macular RNFL and retinal thickness measurements from the FASD group were also lower in most of the nine ETDRS areas, except for the central parts. " 01/01/2018 - "Retinal Wnt signaling defect in a zebrafish fetal alcohol spectrum disorder model." 04/01/2016 - "In addition to a smaller optic disc area/ diameter and rim area, we found a heterogeneous peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness loss in fetal alcohol syndrome patients with sparing of the temporal quadrant. "
7.	QuercetinIBA 01/01/2020 - "In this study, fetal alcohol syndrome was tested in rat models, with the aim of verifying the protective effect of quercetin in preventing alcohol-induced liver and lymphoid tissue (thymus, spleen, and lymph nodes) injuries on the 21st day for the offspring of alcohol treated mother rats. " 11/01/2020 - "Protective effects of quercetin (QUE), polydatin (POL), and folic acid (FA) and their mixtures were tested using zebrafish to model fetal alcohol spectrum disorder in this study. " 11/01/2020 - "Protective effects of quercetin, polydatin, and folic acid and their mixtures in a zebrafish (Danio rerio) fetal alcohol spectrum disorder model."
8.	Folic Acid (Vitamin M)FDA LinkGeneric 01/01/2017 - "Female mice were placed on control diet (CD) or folic acid-supplemented diet (FASD) throughout mating, pregnancy and lactation. " 11/01/2016 - "Female Mthfd1S+/+ and Mthfd1S+/- mice were fed a folic acid-supplemented diet (FASD) (5-fold higher than recommended) or control diets before mating and during pregnancy. " 03/01/2015 - "Folic acid-supplemented diet (FASD, 10-fold higher than recommended) and control diet were fed to male Mthfr(+/+) and Mthfr(+/-) mice for 6 mo to assess gene-nutrient interactions. " 01/01/2012 - "Altered folate concentrations within the placenta and in the fetus may in part contribute to the deficits observed in the fetal alcohol spectrum disorders." 01/01/2011 - "Mthfr +/+ or +/- pregnant mice on a control diet (CD; recommended intake of folic acid for rodents) or folic acid-supplemented diet (FASD; 20-fold higher than the recommended intake) were examined for embryonic loss, delay, and defects at 10.5 and 14.5 days post coitum (dpc); 10.5-dpc placenta, and 14.5-dpc embryo hearts were studied histologically. "
9.	Cholinergic Agents (Cholinergics)IBA 07/01/2009 - "This study provides further evidence of the vulnerability of the cholinergic system in FASD." 01/01/2021 - "We investigated the impacts of two interventions (either wheel-running (WR) or "super intervention," WR plus exposure to a complex environment) on cholinergic neuronal morphology in the nucleus basalis of Meynert (NBM), the source of cortical cholinergic input, and prefrontal cortex (PFC) in a rodent model of FASD. " 01/01/2021 - "Behavioral interventions, which upregulate cholinergic neurotransmission, rescue cognitive deficits in rodent models of FASD. " 01/01/2022 - "After AST treatment, oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, cholinergic system, excitatory synaptic structure and behavior of FASD rats improved. " 01/01/2018 - "In conclusion, ethanol-induced changes in both BF synaptic transmission and behavior were reduced by varenicline in female rats, supporting a role for cholinergic therapeutics in FASD treatment."
10.	Metformin (Glucophage)FDA LinkGeneric 04/01/2022 - "Overall, apoptotic signaling, regulated by the oxidative inflammatory cascade, can be suppressed by metformin in adult brain rats following animal model of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders." 01/01/2018 - "The present results indicate that T4 and metformin, administered during the neonatal period that is equivalent to the third trimester of human pregnancy, are potential treatments for FASD and conceivably for other neurodevelopmental disorders with cognitive deficits." 03/27/2014 - "Modulation of AMPK pathways by osmotin, adiponectin, and metformin hold promise as a preventive therapy for fetal alcohol syndrome. " 04/01/2022 - "In this study, we evaluated the protective effects of metformin on ethanol-related neuroinflammation, as well as neuron apoptosis in the hippocampus of adult male rat in animal model of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. " 04/01/2022 - "Anti-inflammatory, Antioxidant, and Antiapoptotic Action of Metformin Attenuates Ethanol Neurotoxicity in the Animal Model of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders."

Therapies and Procedures

1.	Therapeutics 06/20/2023 - "Dog-Assisted Therapy vs Relaxation for Children and Adolescents with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Study." 01/01/2023 - "These studies help to elucidate the underlying mechanisms that may be involved with the onset of FASD and provide further insights that may aid in identifying novel targets for interventions and therapeutics." 07/01/2021 - "There are only a few randomized-controlled trials regarding therapy research for children and adolescents with FASD. " 11/01/2010 - "The main goals of this article, therefore, are to summarize published intervention studies of FASD and to present a neurodevelopmental framework, based on recent findings from a number of disciplines, for designing new therapies for alcohol-affected children. " 01/01/2007 - "Continued study of the potential ameliorative effects of neonatal handling, environmental enrichment, and rehabilitative training as "therapies" in animal models will remain a valuable source of information for eventually devising treatments for children with FASDs."
2.	Prenatal Care (Care, Prenatal) 11/01/1995 - "The proportion of mothers of children with fetal alcohol syndrome was statistically significantly greater (as determined by exact binomial 95 percent confidence limits) than the proportion of all mothers for the following characteristics: black race (0.23 versus 0.05), unmarried (0.55 versus 0.22), not employed during pregnancy (0.86 versus 0.43), and started prenatal care in the third trimester (0.18 versus 0.04). " 01/01/2023 - "By implementing consistent alcohol use screening, prenatal care providers have the opportunity to facilitate access to counseling and brief interventions and thus, to prevent new cases of FASD and improve maternal and child health." 03/01/2020 - "Strategies to prevent fetal alcohol spectrum disorder need to include messages encouraging women to abstain during pregnancy, whilst at the same time, providing the type of individualised antenatal care that best enables this to be accomplished." 04/26/2019 - "Increased implementation of evidence-based community-level and clinic-level interventions, such as universal alcohol screening and brief counseling in primary and prenatal care, could decrease the prevalence of drinking during pregnancy, which might ultimately reduce the prevalence of FASDs and other adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes." 01/01/2019 - "Improving prenatal care provider knowledge about the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure and the availability of valid alcohol screening tools will improve detection of drinking during pregnancy, provide more opportunities for meaningful intervention, and ultimately reduce the incidence of FASD."
3.	Postcoital Contraception (Emergency Contraception) 05/01/2005 - "This study examined use of, knowledge about, and attitudes toward alcohol of women requesting emergency contraception (EC) and/or a pregnancy test, and evaluated whether a brief intervention would be effective in educating them about the risks of FASD. "
4.	Secondary Prevention 01/01/2010 - "Many health and allied health professionals are in prime positions for primary prevention of FASDs through work with women of childbearing age and secondary prevention through work with affected individuals whose lives can be greatly improved via tailored intervention. " 01/01/2014 - "The WA FASDPN mission is FASD primary and secondary prevention. " 06/01/2013 - "FASD and FAS can lead to several physical, cognitive and behavioral disabilities, whose early diagnosis is of primary importance to perform primary prevention with total abstinence from alcohol during pregnancy and secondary prevention in newborns and children for a proper follow up to reduce risk of secondary consequences. " 12/01/2006 - "Accurate and early diagnosis of the fetal alcohol syndrome is important for secondary prevention, intervention, and treatment, yet many pediatricians lack expertise in recognition of the characteristic features of this disorder. " 12/01/2010 - "We explored differences in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors across six groups of professionals in key position to provide primary and secondary prevention efforts (physicians, educators, correctional staff, social workers, public health nurses, and substance abuse counselors). "
5.	Treatment Delay 08/01/2006 - "The efficacy of a child friendship training (CFT) versus a delayed treatment control (DTC) was assessed for 100 children ages 6 to 12 years with FASD. " 01/01/2015 - "Twenty-nine children with FASD were assigned to either an immediate-treatment (TX) or delayed-treatment control (DTC) group (DTC). " 01/01/2015 - "Twenty-five children aged 8-12 years diagnosed with an FASD were assigned in alternating sequence to either an immediate treatment (TXT) or a delayed treatment control (DTC) group. "