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DrugScreening.org


 
FAS Kids Can Fully Recover, Researchers Say
September 11, 2006

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Research Summary

A regimen of constant mental stimulation and nurturing during the first two years of life can help children with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) catch up developmentally with their peers, the CanWest News Service reported Sept. 10.

A Toronto program is pioneering the intervention, and researcher Gideon Koren of Toronto's Sick Children's Hospital said that widespread implementation could transform the lives of hundreds of thousands of children. "Forever, people thought, once you cause damage to a baby, nothing can happen (to improve them)," said Koren, who also heads Toronto's Motherisk clinic. "This program really does miracles ... Here actually is a huge breakthrough."

Koren presented research on the Breaking the Cycle intervention at the recent Fetal Alcohol Canadian Expertise conference. Most of the children who have passed through the program end up testing normal on standard developmental tests, said Koren.

The observational study, which followed the children up to age 6, will be published in the Journal of FAS International. 

COMMENTS ON THIS ARTICLE:
(Comments now appear first to last)

Posted by BB on 19 Aug 08 02:25 PM EDT
My daughter has suffered from FAE since birth from crack cocaine. She is almost 15 and on a 4.5 grade level and has been for a couple years. I've had her in special education, working with therapist and a level 5 school that has very little ratio of children to teachers. I disagree that they can recover. I have been doing everything the experts has suggested since she was 11 months old and her IQ has went from 69 to high 80's. But her retention, comprehensive, etc may never catch up.

Posted by LewBryson on 03 Nov 08 08:24 AM EST
BB, that's a tragedy, but the article is about fetal alcohol syndrome, not about effects from crack. It's not the same thing.

Posted by NJ on 03 Nov 08 09:18 AM EST
This article assumes that the mother/doctor identifies FAS shortly after delivery. As a social worker I find that mothers are very reluctant to admit they had alcohol during pregnancy. What the FASD coalition I belong to has discovered, is that some doctors say it's ok to have some alcohol during pregnancy, and often times they misdiagnose the FAS symptoms.

Posted by Paula on 18 Feb 09 06:45 PM EST
This whole article gross's me out, FAS is a serious life long brain injury, I belong to a group of ladies we have all adopted children at various ages with FASD and I have never heard one of them say, " they're cured".. Telling women that drinking alcohol during pregnancy is irresponsible on the Dr.'s part in my opinion..Now with this study women may very well think, oh if i love my kid enough after they are born with FASD i can change all the brain damage i have done...So sad...

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