Research
Manitoba invests in research to better understand how FASD impacts our province and to better support prevention efforts and people with FASD.
Canada FASD Research Network
Manitoba is a partner in this national research network. The Network aims to increase research and knowledge in Canada in three key areas: prevention of FASD, intervention with persons with FASD, and diagnosis of FASD. For more information on specific projects of this network, visit the Canada FASD Research Network website.
The network sponsors two blogs on news, research and resources on FASD prevention and intervention:
Girls, Women, Alcohol and Pregnancy: Perspectives on FASD Prevention | Visit site
FASD Interventions Across the Lifespan: Perspectives on FASD Intervention | Visit site
Evaluating the Effectiveness of an Attachment-Focused Intervention in Preschool Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)
The FASD Outreach Program in Winnipeg provides an evidence-based intervention, Circles of Security (COS), that increases attachment between young children and their parent/caregivers.
InSight Program Evaluation
The Manitoba Centre for Health Policy conducted a research study into the long term outcomes of women and their children who have participated in the InSight program (what happens to participants after the program ends?). If you are interested in learning more, you can find the 3 page summary, the full report, an info graphic and a video interview with the lead author of the study at the following link.
Prenatal Alcohol Use Screening in Manitoba
Information on alcohol use during pregnancy is routinely collected in Manitoba by public health nurses, from women who have recently had a baby. This information is important for understanding general trends and patterns of alcohol use during pregnancy and is used to inform policy and programming decisions. Recent results show that about 14% of women in Manitoba report drinking some amount of alcohol while pregnant, a rate that has declined from 16% in 2007 to 12% in 2013. For those who did drink alcohol, 87% reported stopping once they discovered they were pregnant and an additional 7% cut down on their alcohol use .
Provincial FASD Awareness Survey
The first goal of the provincial FASD Strategy is to ensure that Manitobans understand that drinking alcohol during pregnancy can cause FASD. To this end, a provincial FASD awareness survey was conducted to gather Manitobans' knowledge, attitudes and beliefs on alcohol use during pregnancy, as well as FASD more generally. A total of 1,001 interviews were conducted over a 17 day period in both rural and urban areas representing the population distribution throughout the province.
Screening for FASD
(funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada, 2011 - 2014)
Across Canada, a variety of screening tools are being examined to see if there is an alternative way to determine the prevalence of FASD without relying solely on diagnosis. These tools are being validated and come with a caution that screening never be used as a substitute for full assessment and diagnosis. Screening tools can only predict the likelihood that a child or youth might have FASD. Manitoba is working on the validation of one of these tools, the Neurobehavioural Screening Tool.