Profile of children diagnosed with a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder: A retrospective chart review

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Author(s)
Reid, Natasha
Shelton, Doug
Warner, Judith
O'Callaghan, Frances
Dawe, Sharon
Griffith University Author(s)
Year published
2017
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Introduction and Aims. Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is a significant public health concern, and growing recognition in Australia led to the establishment of a specialist service for young children. The aim of the current study was to report on the diagnostic profile of a group of children who attended the service, to document the extent to which there were comorbid diagnoses and to provide information on the neurocognitive functioning of the children. Design and Methods. This study was a retrospective chart review conducted by the diagnostic service. A pre-formulated tool to extract the diagnostic data from the ...
View more >Introduction and Aims. Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is a significant public health concern, and growing recognition in Australia led to the establishment of a specialist service for young children. The aim of the current study was to report on the diagnostic profile of a group of children who attended the service, to document the extent to which there were comorbid diagnoses and to provide information on the neurocognitive functioning of the children. Design and Methods. This study was a retrospective chart review conducted by the diagnostic service. A pre-formulated tool to extract the diagnostic data from the client files was designed, a chart review was performed, and the required data was extracted. FASD diagnoses were made using the 4-Digit Diagnostic Code. Results. Thirty-one families participated, and the majority of children were diagnosed with static encephalopathy (alcohol exposed) or neurobehavioral disorder (alcohol exposed) (11 children each; 36%). Only one child was diagnosed with fetal alcohol syndrome (alcohol exposed), and five children were diagnosed with partial fetal alcohol syndrome (alcohol exposed). Twenty-six children (84%) had a comorbid diagnosis, with 19 (61%) having a comorbid diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. While the majority of children were not found to display growth deficiency or significant facial features, 18 children (58%) had significant central nervous system dysfunction. Discussion and Conclusions. The current study demonstrates that with the relevant training and expertise, assessment and diagnosis of FASD can be embedded within the existing health services available in Australia.
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View more >Introduction and Aims. Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is a significant public health concern, and growing recognition in Australia led to the establishment of a specialist service for young children. The aim of the current study was to report on the diagnostic profile of a group of children who attended the service, to document the extent to which there were comorbid diagnoses and to provide information on the neurocognitive functioning of the children. Design and Methods. This study was a retrospective chart review conducted by the diagnostic service. A pre-formulated tool to extract the diagnostic data from the client files was designed, a chart review was performed, and the required data was extracted. FASD diagnoses were made using the 4-Digit Diagnostic Code. Results. Thirty-one families participated, and the majority of children were diagnosed with static encephalopathy (alcohol exposed) or neurobehavioral disorder (alcohol exposed) (11 children each; 36%). Only one child was diagnosed with fetal alcohol syndrome (alcohol exposed), and five children were diagnosed with partial fetal alcohol syndrome (alcohol exposed). Twenty-six children (84%) had a comorbid diagnosis, with 19 (61%) having a comorbid diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. While the majority of children were not found to display growth deficiency or significant facial features, 18 children (58%) had significant central nervous system dysfunction. Discussion and Conclusions. The current study demonstrates that with the relevant training and expertise, assessment and diagnosis of FASD can be embedded within the existing health services available in Australia.
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Journal Title
Drug and Alcohol Review
Copyright Statement
© 2017 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs. This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Profile of children diagnosed with a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder: A retrospective chart review, Drug and Alcohol Review, Volume 36, Issue 5, 2017, Pages 677–681, which has been published in final form at 10.1111/dar.12519. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving (http://olabout.wiley.com/WileyCDA/Section/id-828039.html)
Note
This publication has been entered into Griffith Research Online as an Advanced Online Version.
Subject
Medical and Health Sciences not elsewhere classified
Medical and Health Sciences
Studies in Human Society
Psychology and Cognitive Sciences