Speaker: Gideon Koren, MD, FRCPC
Director, Motherisk Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON

Speaker: Honourable Linda Reid
Minister of State for Child Care British Columbia

Speaker: Kerri Irvin-Ross
Minister of Healthy Living, Manitoba

Speaker: Joanne Weinberg, PhD

Maternal alcohol consumption induces clinical abnormalities of endocrine function in both the mother and fetus. We have shown that prenatal alcohol exposure reprograms the fetal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, a key component of the stress system, such that HPA tone is increased throughout life. Possible mechanisms underlying fetal programming, and the implications of HPA programming for understanding the secondary disabilities that are observed in children with FASD will be explored in this presentation. Supported by grants from NIH/NIAAA, the UBC Human Early Learning Partnership, and the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research.

Established in September 2007, the Canadian Foundation on Fetal Alcohol Research (CFFAR), is an independent, non-profit foundation created to promote interest and fund research related to the short and long-term bio-medical, psychological and social effects of alcohol consumption during pregnancy, and the prevention of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). CFFAR will award research grants annually in conjunction with International FASD day and the annual Fetal Alcohol Canadian Expertise (FACE) Research Roundtable.

Speaker: Ana C. Hanlon-Dearman, MD, MSc, FRCPC, FAAP, CBSM

This presentation will discuss current research contributing to the understanding of neurobehavioral development in children across the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. The presentation will review anatomic and neurochemical correlates of functioning and cognition in FASD. It will also present current research from Winnipeg's Clinic for Alcohol and Drug Exposed Children based on specific brain domain findings in the clinical evaluation of children with FASD. Promising areas for further research will be discussed.

Speaker: Carmen Rasmussen, PhD

This presentation will focus on results from two studies on behavior problems among children with FASD. First, I will discuss results of a study on lie-telling abilities of young children (aged 4 to 8 years) with FASD, with findings indicating high rates of lying among children with FASD. In the second study we examined parental ratings of children with FASD (aged 5 to 16 years) on the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF).

Speaker: Janine Hutson

Many recent international studies have demonstrated the global burden of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. In a current collaboration between Motherisk and Dr. Raquel Magri in Montevideo, Uruguay, we determined the prevalence of alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drug consumption through meconium analysis. Compared to similar studies, the risk for alcohol consumption in Montevideo is high and women consuming alcohol during pregnancy are also more likely to use tobacco and/or other drugs of abuse.

Speaker: Sarit Shor, HBSc

It has been estimated that over 80% of FASD-affected individuals go undiagnosed. Lack of information regarding prenatal alcohol exposure history often contributes to difficulties in confirming FASD diagnoses. A prospective cohort study will be conducted in order to assess the level of voluntary participation in prenatal alcohol exposure screening with informed consent in clinical setting. Furthermore, it will be determined if meconium positive for ethanol exposure correlates with standard childhood developmental milestones and Bayley's test for neurodevelopmental screening.

Speakers: Lori Vitale Cox, PhD,
Michael Dickinson, M.D.

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is now recognized as a serious health issue in North America. Despite the disorder's increased profile, there have been no published prevalence studies of the condition in the Maritime region of Canada. This study was designed to document the prevalence of FASD in an aboriginal community in Atlantic Canada. A total of 187 children attending grades 1 - 8 in the community school participated in this research. The results of this study show unexpectedly high prevalence rates of FASD. The total prevalence rate in the community's elementary school was 19.25 per cent or 193/1000 children. The high prevalence rates found in this study raise questions about the region's health care system when it comes to diagnosis, prevention and intervention services for FASD.

Speaker: Albert Chudley, MD, FRCP(C), FCCMG

We undertook a study to determine the incidence of FASD in a federal prison in Canada. We evaluated 91 volunteer offenders. Historical records were reviewed. Participants underwent comprehensive physical and neuropsychological assessments. Nine offenders met the Canadian Diagnostic Guideline criteria for an FASD related diagnosis. We discuss some risk factors associated with a diagnosis and next steps before study results can be generalized to other Canadian offender populations.

Speakers: Linda Burnside, BSW, Med, PhD Cand.
Don Fuchs, Professor
Shelagh Marchenski, Researcher

In Manitoba, 1 in 3 children in care of child welfare agencies is a child with a disability. FASD affects 34% of the children in care with disabilities and 11% or all children in care in Manitoba. Building on the work of our 2005 study of children in care with disabilities, this presentation will focus on the prevalence of FASD in the population of children in care in Manitoba, examining their key characteristics and service needs, and the subsequent implications for policy, program development and training for child welfare agencies.

Speakers: Harvy Frankel, PhD
Sid Frankel, PhD
Susan Opie, M.S.W., R.S.W.

This study is based on 28 intensive interviews with the caregivers (adoptive parents, birth parents, grandparents and one sibling) of 19 children, aged six to 18, diagnosed with FASD. These families were nominated by service providers as successful, using criteria related to tenure of care, parental functioning and child school attachment. The study, which is based on an ecological model, is exploratory, with the purpose of identifying facilitative factors and barriers for further investigation.

The winners of the 2007 FACE Research Roundtable Poster Competition are:

Best Poster Award for Original Research - Dr. Ana Hanlon-Dearman - "Actigraphic Characteristics of Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder"

Best Student Poster Award - Y. Ingrid Goh - "Interim Analysis of the Prevalence of Fatty Acid Ethyl Esters in meconium of Grey Bruce Babies Born in a Tertiary Healthcare Centre"