Parents Sue over Russian Adoption of Child with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

This recent CNN news clip tells a sad story about a child with FASD adopted from Russia by an American family.

Click link -http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/living/2010/04/28/am.cho.russian.adoption.cnn.html

Other links:
http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/04/14/children.adoption.mental.health/index.html
http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/04/13/russian.adoption.families/index.html


A version of this story happens in adoption agencies and foster care systems in the U.S. Most professionals have the best interest of the child at heart yet often miss this condition or under-estimate its impact. Fortunately it doesn't always produce the extreme behavior described here but if undetected or misdiagnosed, it can made matters worse. When FASD is discovered and addressed at an early age, the outcome can be much better than it would be without this awareness.

Even when FASD is diagnosed early, there are secondary disabilities or problems that are common. One researcher followed a group of these individuals over 20 years and found these issues:

60% - School Dropout, Suspension or Expulsion
90% - Unable to live independently
60% - Trouble with the Law
62% - Addictions
23% - Attempted Suicide

Study completed by Streissguth, 1996.

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