PUBLICATIONS – CIFASD – Collaborative Initiative on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

Most Recent CIFASD Publications

((((((((((((((((((((((((AA014786[Grant Number]) OR (AA014790[Grant Number])) OR (AA014809[Grant Number])) OR (AA014811[Grant Number])) OR (AA014812[Grant Number])) OR (AA014815[Grant Number])) OR (AA…

Language outcomes of preschool children who are HIV-exposed uninfected: An analysis of a South African cohort
INTRODUCTION: There are approximately 16 million children who are HIV-exposed and uninfected (CHEU) worldwide. Studies suggest that CHEU are at risk for developmental impairment in infancy, particularly in language domains. However, there is limited research examining neurocognitive function in CHEU older than 2 years, including important pre-school years. This study aimed to investigate associations between […]
Freddy Green
Association of in utero HIV exposure with child brain structure and language development: a South African birth cohort study
CONCLUSIONS: In this cohort study, exposure to HIV during pregnancy was associated with altered cortical structure in early life. Our findings indicate that differences in cortical thickness development in the prefrontal region in children who are HEU may be a pathway leading to language impairment. Longitudinal studies are needed to determine the lasting impact.
Catherine J Wedderburn
Zebrafish raptor mutation inhibits the activity of mTORC1, inducing craniofacial defects due to autophagy-induced neural crest cell death
The mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) coordinates metabolism and cell growth with environmental inputs. mTOR forms two functional complexes: mTORC1 and mTORC2. Proper development requires both complexes but mTORC1 has unique roles in numerous cellular processes, including cell growth, survival and autophagy. Here, we investigate the function of mTORC1 in craniofacial development. We created a […]
Scott K Tucker
Validation of the ND-PAE Diagnosis in Children with Heavy Prenatal Alcohol Exposure
This study evaluated criteria for Neurobehavioral Disorder Associated with Prenatal Alcohol Exposure (ND-PAE). Kable et al. (2022) assessed the validity of this diagnosis in a sample with low exposure to alcohol. The current study expanded this assessment to a sample with a wider age range and heavier alcohol exposure. Data were collected from participants (5-17y) […]
Christina R Veziris
Machine learning approaches to the identification of children affected by prenatal alcohol exposure: A narrative review
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs) affect at least 0.8% of the population globally. The diagnosis of FASD is uniquely complex, with a heterogeneous physical and neurobehavioral presentation that requires multidisciplinary expertise for diagnosis. Many researchers have begun to incorporate machine learning approaches into FASD research to identify children who are affected by prenatal alcohol exposure, […]
Michael Suttie
Spiral drawing deficits in children with prenatal alcohol exposure
CONCLUSIONS: The drawing skills of children with prenatal alcohol exposure have inherent signal characteristics that differ significantly from those produced by typically developing peers. Simple tasks requiring fine motor control may be useful in identifying individuals with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.
Roger W Simmons
Predicting fetal alcohol spectrum disorders in preschool-aged children from early life factors
CONCLUSIONS: As early identification and treatment optimize outcomes of children with FASD, classifier models from early life characteristics show promise in predicting FASD. Models may be improved through the inclusion of physiologic markers of prenatal alcohol exposure and should be tested in different samples.
Gretchen Bandoli
Polymorphisms in the choline transporter SLC44A1 are associated with reduced cognitive performance in normotypic but not prenatal alcohol-exposed children
CONCLUSIONS: Two functional alleles that increase vulnerability to choline deficiency, rs3199966(G) (Ser644Ala) and rs2771040(G) (3' untranslated region), are associated with worsened cognition in otherwise normotypic children. These alleles were previously associated with greater cognitive improvement in children with PAE who received supplemental choline. The findings endorse that choline benefits cognitive development in normotypic children and […]
Susan M Smith
Prenatal alcohol exposure and early-life adversity: A translational perspective for dissecting compounding impacts
No abstract
Parker J Holman
Parenting by individuals with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders and neurobehavioral outcomes in their offspring
CONCLUSION: Parents with FASD display notable strengths including a predominantly authoritative parenting style. However, parents with FASD underrecognize child trauma and underutilize developmental services compared to socioeconomically matched controls, despite similar neurocognitive impairments. Impairments in adaptive functioning in parents with FASD may translate into difficulties with child-parent communication and limit both insight into neurobehavioral problems […]
Gaby J Ritfeld

View all CIFASD publications at PubMed.gov.

Phase I:

Available data from Phase I were collected across five sites:
(1) Center for Behavioral Teratology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA;
(2) Seven Northern Plains communities, including six Indian reservations;
(3) Institute of Psychiatry, Moscow, Russia;
(4) Moscow Region Institute of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Moscow, Russia, and
(5) Omni-Net sites at the Rivne Diagnostic Center, and the Kherson Children’s Hospital, Rivne and Kherson, Ukraine.

Subject recruitment varied between the sites, and subject population was racially and ethnically diverse.

Data for Neurobehavior, Dysmorphology Demographics, 3D Facial Imaging were collected from sites 1-3 for children between the ages of 5 -18 years, although the majority were 7-18 years old.

Data on current and recent maternal alcohol consumption, demographics and pregnancy history in a prospective study of prenatal alcohol exposure were collected from mothers and their babies from sites 4-5. Dysmorphology data was collected for all participants.

Neurobehavior Data

Phase 1 – data include measures from the Leiter, NES3, DKEFS, CANTAB, CBC and other scales

Phase 2 – data include measures from the Leiter, DKEFS, CANTAB, BRIEF, ASEBA, Vineland, C-DISC, and other scales

Phase 3 – data include measures from the DAS-II, NEPSY-II, CANTAB, BRIEF, ASEBA, Vineland, C-DISC and other scales

Phase I

[The => will link to detail when provided]

General Intellectual Ability=>Leiter International Performance Scale-Revised (Leiter-R)
Attention and Concentration=>NES3 – Continuous Performance Test (Animals)
Executive Function=>Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System (Verbal Fluency, Trail Making); Progressive Planning Test; Visual Discrimination Reversal Learning
Working Memory/Memory=>CANTAB (Spatial Working Memory; Spatial Span; Pattern Recognition Memory; Spatial Recognition Memory); Virtual Water Maze
Visual-Motor=>Visual-Motor Integration Test
Motor/Reaction Time: CANTAB (Motor Screening; Big/Little Circle); Grooved Pegboard Test
Interhemispheric Transfer=> Finger Localization Test
Psychological Symptomatology=> ASEBA (Child Behavior Checklist; Teacher Report Form; Youth Self Report); Disruptive Behavior Rating Scale; Sluggish Cognitive Tempo Scale; Pictorial Depression Scale

Phase II

General Intellectual Ability=>Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children – Fourth Edition
Executive Function=> Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System (Verbal Fluency, Trail Making; Color-Word Interference; Tower; 20 Questions; Design Fluency); CANTAB (Intra/Extradimensional Shift); BRIEF (Parent Version; Child Version)
Working Memory/Memory=> CANTAB (Spatial Working Memory; Delayed Matching to Sample)
Motor/Reaction Time=> CANTAB (Motor Screening; Big/Little Circle; Simple Reaction Time; Choice Reaction Time)
Psychological Symptomatology=> ASEBA (Child Behavior Checklist; Teacher Report Form; Youth Self Report); Disruptive Behavior Rating Scale; Sluggish Cognitive Tempo Scale; Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, 2nd Edition (Parent/Caregiver Rating Form; Teacher Rating Form); C-DISC Psychiatric Interview (Demographics; GAD; MDD; ADHD; ODD; CD modules)

Phase III

General Intellectual Ability=> Differential Ability Scales – 2nd Ediction (DAS-II)
Attention and Concentration=> NEPSY-II (Speeded Naming; Arrows)
Executive Function=> CANTAB (Stockings of Cambridge); NEPSY-II (Word Generation; Inhibition); BRIEF (Parent Version)
Working Memory/Memory=> California Verbal Learning Test – Children’s Version (CVLT-C); NEPSY-II (Memory for Names; Memory for Designs: Memory for Faces; Narrative Memory)
Psychological Symptomatology=> ASEBA (Child Behavior Checklist; Teacher Report Form; Youth Self Report); Disruptive Behavior Rating Scale; Sluggish Cognitive Tempo Scale; Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, 2nd Edition (Parent/Caregiver Rating Form; Teacher Rating Form); C-DISC Psychiatric Interview (Demographics; GAD; MDD; ADHD; ODD; CD modules)

Phase III:

Available data from Phase III were collected across five sites:
(1) San Diego State University,
(2) Emory University,
(3) University of California, Los Angeles and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, CA,
(4) University of Minnesota; and
(5) Omni-Net locations in Ukraine: the Rivne Diagnostic Center and the Khmelnytsky Perinatal Center in Rivne and Khmelnytsky, Ukraine.

Subject recruitment varied between the sites, and subject population was racially and ethnically diverse.

Data for Neurobehavior, Dysmorphology, Demographics, 3D Facial Imaging, Genetics, and Brain Volume were collected from sites 1-4 for children ages 5-7 and 10-16 years under two age-based protocols. Data from maternal blood samples were collected from pregnant women and fetal data were collected via ultrasound from mothers and babies at site 5. Live born infants were given a dysmorphology exam, facial imaging, and neurobehavioral testing. Collection of blood, urine, and cheek cell samples were also included.

Phase II:

Available data from Phase II were collected across six sites:
(1) Center for Behavioral Teratology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA;
(2) Emory University, Atlanta, GA;
(3) the University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA;
(4) University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM;
(5) Seven Northern Plains communities, including six Indian reservations; and
(6) Omni-Net locations in Ukraine: the Rivne Diagnostic Center and the Khmelnytsky Perinatal Center in Rivne and Khmelnytsky, Ukraine.

Subject recruitment varied between the sites, and subject population was racially and ethnically diverse.

Data for Neurobehavior, Dysmorphology, Demographics and Brain Volume were collected from sites 1-5 for children between the ages of 8-16 years. 3D Facial Imaging and Genetic data are also available for children from sites 1-3. Data from a longitudinal study were collected from site 6 for 350 moderately to heavily alcohol-exposed pregnant women and approximately 350 low or unexposed women.

Pregnancies were followed with serial ultrasounds and maternal blood samples were collected and analyzed for various nutrients and markers of oxidative stress and inflammation. Live born infants were given a dysmorphology exam, facial imaging, and neurobehavioral testing.