2013 FACE Meeting

FASD Throughout the Lifespan: from prevention to lifelong support

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A National FASD Conference hosted by fasdNL and the FACE Research Association

• When: September 5-7, 2013
• Where: Sheraton Hotel, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

Register online at: https://www.med.mun.ca/pdcs/program_info.asp?programID=2600

Questions regarding registration, please contact Professional Development & Conferencing Services at (709) 777-6653. All other inquiries, please contact the Conference Planning Committee at (toll free) 1-855-579-9073 or e-mail: contact@fasdnl.ca

Location

Sheraton Hotel, downtown St. Johns, Newfoundland.
Telephone: 1-800-325-3535 or (709) 726-4980

Book online at: www.starwoodmeeting.com/StarGroupsWeb/res?id=1304223705&key=8458
Group rate available until August 3, 2013

Accreditation & Certificate of Attendance

All registered participants will receive a Certificate of Attendance. Presentations on September 6 and 7, 2013 (Fri and Sat) are currently under review for Continuing Medical Education (CME) accreditation for members of the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC).

Download the program

Call for Abstracts

We invite poster submissions on all topics of medical and social science research related to Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder for the annual FACE Poster Competition. The deadline for submitting poster abstracts is August 29, 2013.

Please visit the Guidelines section to learn more »»

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Fetal Alcohol Canadian Expertise (FACE) Satellite Meeting at the 36th Annual RSA Scientific Meeting

Update on Canadian Research on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder

• When: Sunday, June 23, 2013 12:15 - 1:45 p.m.
• Where: Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress, Orlando, Florida

Preliminary Agenda

A Novel Neuropsychological Screening Test for FASD
Dr. Gideon Koren, Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario

Based on the Child Behavior Checklist, Motherisk has validated a neurobehavioral tool that has high sensitivity and specificity for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. This tool has been recently accepted as a screening tool by the Public Health Agency of Canada.

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Meconium Fatty Acit Ethyl Esters as Biomarkers of Ethanol Exposure in Late Gestation and Indicators of Ethanol-induced Multi-organ Injury in Fetal Sheep

Irene Zelner ^1,2; Kelly Kenna ³; James F. Brien ⁴; Alan Bocking,⁵; Richard Harding ³; David Walker ⁶; Gideon Koren ^{1,2 1} Division of Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada; ² Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; ³ Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia; ⁴ Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada; ⁵ Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; ⁶ Ritchie Centre for Infant Health, Monash Institute of Medical Research, Monash University, Clayton, VIC

Previously, meconium concentrations of fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEE) have been shown to be specific and sensitive biomarkers of heavy fetal exposure to ethanol. To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first report evaluating the utility of meconium concentrations in identifying fetuses with organ-system injury resulting from in-utero ethanol exposure. In an ovine model, we found that meconium FAEE concentration was a highly sensitive and specific biomarker of a relatively moderate-dose fetal ethanol exposure in late gestation, and could be used to identify fetuses with ethanol-induced toxic effects in numerous organs, including the kidney, lungs, heart, and brain. This demonstrates the potential for using meconium FAEE to identify neonates at risk for major organ dysfunction following in-utero ethanol exposure that does not result in overt malformations. These findings add to the existing body of literature on the sensitivity, specificity, and potential clinical utility of meconium testing for FAEE as a screen for identifying newborns at risk for fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.

Early Results of Evidence-Based Educational Remediation in Motherisk School Program for Children with FASD
Gal Koren, Motherisk FASD Clinic Follow-Up Coordinator

After several years of advocacy, in 2012 the Motherisk Program began an ambitious program providing treatment support and academic remediation programming for children in Toronto with confirmed Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. In its inaugural year the program, named Transitions, has delivered two full-time day school classrooms for 'high-risk' students aged seven to nine. In 2013 the program will be expanding to serve students from grades one through to six. The presentation by program developer and coordinator, Gal Koren, will highlight some of the promising evidence-based practices the program utilizes, and share some preliminary short-term student and program outcomes.