Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Nov 25;19(23):15663.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph192315663.

International Survey of Specialist Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Diagnostic Clinics: Comparison of Diagnostic Approach and Considerations Regarding the Potential for Unification

Natasha Reid  1 , Dianne C Shanley  2   3 , Jayden Logan  1 , Codi White  2   3 , Wei Liu  3 , Erinn Hawkins  2   3
Affiliations

International Survey of Specialist Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Diagnostic Clinics: Comparison of Diagnostic Approach and Considerations Regarding the Potential for Unification

Natasha Reid et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is a prevalent neurodevelopmental condition. Despite FASD being recognized as a clinical disorder there is no globally agreed set of diagnostic criteria. Accurate and timely diagnosis of FASD is imperative to inform clinical care, optimize outcomes for individuals accessing assessments and their families, as well as for research and prevention strategies. To inform movement towards a unified approach, the present study aimed to capture an international perspective on current FASD diagnostic criteria, as well as potential barriers and facilitators to unification. An online survey was created using REDCap and sent to clinics identified and contacted via internet searches. Quantitative data were presented using descriptive statistics and open-ended questions analysed using content analysis. The survey captured information about each clinic's current diagnostic approach, whether they would support a unified method, and the barriers and facilitators for a consistent international FASD diagnostic approach. Fifty-five (37.4%) of 147 FASD clinics identified worldwide participated. The majority (n = 50, 90.9%) of respondents supported a unified approach. Content analysis identified a lack of collaboration as a key barrier, while strong leadership in guideline creation and implementation emerged as a central facilitator. These barriers and facilitators can be used to guide future collaborative efforts towards implementing consistent diagnostic criteria.

Keywords: barriers and facilitators; diagnostic criteria; fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Barriers and facilitators to a unified FASD diagnostic criteria.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Cook J.L., Green C.R., Lilley C.M., Anderson S.M., Baldwin M.E., Chudley A.E., Conry J.L., LeBlanc N., Loock C.A., Lutke J., et al. Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder: A guideline for diagnosis across the lifespan. CMAJ. 2016;188:191–197. doi: 10.1503/cmaj.141593. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Banerji A., Shah C. Ten-year experience of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder; diagnostic and resource challenges in Indigenous children. Paediatr. Child Health. 2017;22:143–147. doi: 10.1093/pch/pxx052. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Brownell M., Enns J.E., Hanlon-Dearman A., Chateau D., Phillips-Beck W., Singal D., MacWilliam L., Longstaffe S., Chudley A., Elias B., et al. Health, Social, Education, and Justice Outcomes of Manitoba First Nations Children Diagnosed with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: A Population-Based Cohort Study of Linked Administrative Data. Can. J. Psychiatry. 2019;64:611–620. doi: 10.1177/0706743718816064. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Sessa F., Salerno M., Esposito M., Di Nunno N., Rosi G.L., Roccuzzo S., Pomara C. Understanding the Relationship between Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) and Criminal Justice: A Systematic Review. Healthcare. 2022;10:84. doi: 10.3390/healthcare10010084. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Kambeitz C., Klug M.G., Greenmyer J., Popova S., Burd L. Association of adverse childhood experiences and neurodevelopmental disorders in people with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) and non-FASD controls. BMC Pediatr. 2019;19:498. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms