Abstract of the paper -Neurobiology and Neurodevelopmental Impact of Childhood Traumatic Stress and Prenatal Alcohol Exposure with comments

1. Neurobiology and Neurodevelopmental Impact of Childhood Traumatic
Stress and Prenatal Alcohol Exp...
Henry, Jim; Sloane, Mark; Black-Pond, Connie.
Language, Speech & Hearing Services in Schools; Apr 2007; 38, 2;
ProQuest
LSHSS
Clinical Forum Neurobiology and Neurodevelopmental Impact of
Childhood Traumatic Stress and Prenatal Alcohol Exposure
Jim Henry, Mark Sloane, Connie Black-Pond: Western Michigan
University, Kalamazoo.
ABSTRACT
Research reveals that prenatal alcohol exposure and child trauma (i.e.,
abuse, neglect, sexual abuse) can have deleterious effects on child
development across multiple domains. This study analyzed the impact
on childhood neurodevelopment of prenatal alcohol exposure and
postnatal traumatic experience compared to postnatal traumatic
experience alone. Although the harmful effects of both have been well
documented individually, there is no research documenting the
concurrent effects of prenatal alcohol exposure and postnatal trauma on
a child's developmental process. Transdisciplinary assessment of the
children included the core disciplines of medicine, speech-language
pathology, occupational therapy, social work, and psychology. Medical
examination, standardized developmental and intelligence testing,
projective tools, parent questionnaires, and psychosocial interviews
provided information in the primary developmental areas. Findings
indicated that children who had been exposed prenatally to alcohol along
with postnatal traumatic experience had lower intelligence scores and
more severe neurodevelopmental deficits in language, memory, visual
processing, motor skills, and attention than did traumatized children
without prenatal alcohol exposure, as well as greater oppositional/defiant

2. behavior, inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, and social problems.
Successful teacher and speech-language pathologist interventions with
traumatized children with prenatal alcohol exposure demand a paradigm
shift that requires the development of new perspectives and ongoing
training.
(PDF) Neurobiology and Neurodevelopmental Impact of Childhood
Traumatic Stress and Prenatal Alcohol Exposure. Available
from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/6399437_Neurobiology_
and_Neurodevelopmental_Impact_of_Childhood_Traumatic_Stress_and
_Prenatal_Alcohol_Exposure[accessed Jan 02 2019].
Comment
As the authors state, there is extensive literature concerning the impact
of early childhood trauma on child development. What is not considered
in that literature is the effects of prenatal alcohol on the developing
fetus. This is in spite of the extensive body of literature on that topic
under the heading of Fetal Alcohol: Not to ignore the personal testimony
of parents and caregivers of children with FASD.
It has been known for over twenty years that children born with FASD
and raised in a secure and positive environment would experience less
problems with education, mental health illnesses, and later,
homelessness, addiction, trouble with the law, and difficulty maintaining
employment. [Secondary Disabilities- The 1996 Washington Report.
Streissguth A. et.al. ]
My concern is that increasingly the consequences of PAE are being
ignored while ECT is being seen as the sole origin of developmental
disabilities. This is increasingly reflected in ECT being held responsible
for the resulting behavioral issues.
The other fact to be acknowledged is the recurring transgenerational
cycle; the mother has a child with fasd, the child grows up with the risk
of alcohol abuse, and often has a child with FASD herself.

3. This paper addresses these concerns and hopefully will influence
research of early childhood trauma, so that the role of prenatal alcohol is
included and more appropriate treatments initiated.
The secondary disabilities of FASD will not be reduced until this is
done.
Barry Stanley, January,2019.