Identifying children who are at risk of FASD in Peterborough: working in a community clinic without access to gold standard diagnosis. (October 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Gregory, Geraldine; Reddy, Venkat; Young, Clare
• Is Part Of: Adoption & fostering. Volume 39:Number 3(2015:Oct.)
• Page Start: 225
• Page End: 234
• Publication Date: 2015-10
• Subjects: FAS -- FASD -- community paediatrician -- looked after children -- audits -- Peterborough; Adoption -- Periodicals; Foster home care -- Periodicals; Adopted children -- Periodicals; Foster children -- Periodicals; Child welfare -- Periodicals; 362.7305
• DOI: 10.1177/0308575915594985
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0308-5759

Abstract

The number of UK children seen with complex behaviour difficulties where there is a history of exposure to alcohol and/or drugs prenatally appears to be increasing at an alarming rate. Community paediatricians work with vulnerable children and also act as medical advisers to adoption panels, so they have a unique overview of the unmet needs of looked after children affected by Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). This article reports on two simple audits of children seen in a community paediatric clinic setting. The first audit counted the number of children seen during a period of two-and-a-half years between April 2010 and August 2013, where there was a clear prenatal history of alcohol exposure. This audit also specifically looked at how many of these children might have Foetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) or FASD. Seventy-two children were given such a diagnosis within the time frame. The second audit reported on children looked after and children put forward for adoption during a 12-month period from January 2013 to December 2013. It reported a history of prenatal exposure in 55 out of 160 health assessments for looked after children (34%) and in 34 out of 45 medicals for adoption (75%).