The past, present, and future of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder work in Newfoundland and Labrador: A landscape paper for change

• Published in: Birth Defects Research
• Main Authors: Dunbar Winsor, Katharine, Morton Ninomiya, Melody E.
• Other Authors: Memorial University of Newfoundland
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2018
• Subjects: Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis; Developmental Biology; Toxicology; Embryology; Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health; Canada; Newfoundland
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/bdr2.1378; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1002%2Fbdr2.1378; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/bdr2.1378

Objectives In this paper, we provide an overview of best practices in FASD prevention, diagnostic, and interventions and supports. In Canada, people diagnosed with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) represent a fraction people living with FASD. While social stigma may deter people from seeking an FASD diagnosis, other deterrents include the lack of screening and diagnostic referrals, cost of travelling to a clinic, and lack of clarity of how a diagnosis may improve supports and services. Preventing FASD and improving lifelong outcomes for people living with FASD requires a coordinated approach between prevention, diagnostic, intervention, and support efforts. Methods Using the example of Newfoundland and Labrador, a province where 60% of the population lives in rural communities and benefits from being involved in national initiatives and partnerships, we discuss efforts underway in other Canadian provinces to address FASD. Results We make three recommendations that begin to address FASD‐specific needs in both rural and urban regions: a) a provincial FASD consultant position, b) an explicit partnership between provincial government and fasdNL, and c) increased access to FASD diagnostic teams. Conclusion While the recommendations are both modest and essential first steps, we also suggest that collaborations and resource‐sharing in FASD prevention and supports are more about doing things differently, rather than doing more.