The NineZero Project

Awarded Funds

2010-06-15T08:56:00.000-07:00

By LINDA LOU
Special to The Press-Enterprise

Adam Fletcher liked the idea of giving away money as a teenager and making a difference when he applied for The Community Foundation's Youth Grantmakers Committee.

Adam was a sophomore at North High School in Riverside when he joined the pilot committee in 2009 and had only thought about philanthropy in vague terms. But after staying on the committee for a second season, Adam, 16, said he has gained perspective. He has immersed himself in learning about the needs of youth in the community and has seen nonprofits at work.

"We really see the importance of money," Adam said. "We're giving them a chance to expand their horizons. Sometimes, even if you have 100 volunteers, the only way to expand or start new programs is with money. You need that money."

Youth Grantmakers Committee members Brittney Sutton, left, a senior at Ramona High School, and Adam Fletcher, right, a junior at North High School, meet with Celia Cudiamat, The Community Foundation's vice president of grant programs. The 24-member youth committee recently selected seven nonprofits to receive a total of $15,000.
The committee's 24 students mostly live in Riverside, County but a few are from San Bernardino County.

On Tuesday, the committee will celebrate with the seven nonprofits that were chosen to receive a total of $15,000 at City Hall. The foundation has approved the choices.

The grant recipients are: Operation SafeHouse, $2,500; Olive Crest, which is dedicated to addressing child abuse, $2,500; Riverside Area Rape Crisis Center, $2,500; Oak Grove Center for Education Treatment & The Arts, $2,500; the Child Leader Project, which promotes higher education for children around the world, $2,255; Special Olympics, $2,000; and The Arc of Riverside County, which supports people with developmental disabilities, $745.

Applications with detailed project proposals and budgets were submitted by 12 nonprofits earlier this year. They were reviewed by the committee, which wanted to help teens dealing with alcohol use, drug use, sex and pregnancy, peer pressure and violence.

About two-thirds of the committee's students attend Arlington, Martin Luther King, Norte Vista, North, Ramona, and Riverside Poly high schools. Students from Woodcrest Christian, Notre Dame and Aquinas high schools are in the group, too.

It was hard to reach a consensus about the grantees, said Brittney Sutton, 18, a senior at Ramona High School in Riverside. She said students went to bat for the nonprofits they preferred, but in the end the group felt good about the choices because everyone had a chance to weigh in.

"It was a priceless experience that we accomplished together," Sutton said.

The Community Foundation was founded in 1941 by a Riverside businessman. Since then, it has expanded to serve the Inland area by managing donations, awarding grants and distributing college scholarships. Last year, it gave about $3.1 million in grants and scholarships.

The committee formed after foundation board member Stan Grube attended a national conference and saw how teenagers in Michigan were engaged in making decisions about grants that affected youth in their community. In late 2008, the foundation board approved the Youth Philanthropy Initiative, which launched the youth committee.

"The goal is to teach young people the traditions of philanthropy and giving, and addressing the needs of the community through grant making," said Celia Cudiamat, the foundation's Vice President of Grant Programs. "We want them to practice philanthropy at a young age and give as they develop into contributing members of society."

Cudiamat said the youth committee may be the only group of its kind in Riverside County. The foundation has initiated another such committee this year on a pilot basis with Reach Out, an Upland nonprofit that empowers young people. Interest in forming similar youth grantmaking groups in the High Desert is growing, Cudiamat said.

During the next year, veteran committee members such as Adam, will help write grant proposals to increase the group's funding ability beyond $15,000 a year, Cudiamat said.

Adam, a junior, said he used to be more focused on himself before joining the committee. He comes from a middle-class family, is an honors student, and participates in many school activities. Going to college and attaining a well-paying job are within his reach, he said.

But he said he didn't realize that some teens were struggling with hurdles such as problems at home until he visited Operation SafeHouse, which runs two emergency children's shelters in Riverside and Thousand Palms. He said he met a student who had been kicked out from home, and the visit made him feel inspired to give back to his community one day.

"I never thought I could change a person's life," Adam said. "But I could see that I could really make a difference, even as a high school student. We are changing people's lives through what we have given."

Sutton said she recognized someone she knew from school at the shelter.

"I never thought that someone in my daily life would be there," she said. "We got to talk to kids and it was unscripted."

Sutton said her experience has been humbling and eye opening. She will attend UCLA this fall and plans to apply for the university's Program Activities Board. The group decides how to allocate money provided by student registration fees for programs in the community and on campus.

Members of the Inland youth committee also attended a planning retreat, heard from guest speakers and developed leadership and team-building skills.

Applications for the 2010-11 Youth Grantmakers Committee are now being accepted. Applicants must be sophomores or juniors during the 2010-11 school year and be able to meet once a month, September through June. For more information, call Cudiamat at 951-684-4194

“From Ignorance to Advocacy - I Am Going to Change My World!”

2010-06-10T16:17:00.000-07:00

NineZero Advocate Highlight:

Barbara Fowler - “From Ignorance to Advocacy - I Am Going to Change My World!”

For most of my life I was totally ignorant of the abnormal neurological development caused by prenatal exposure to alcohol. Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) were not even a blip on my radar. My husband, Jim, and I became foster parents in September of 1995. Over the next 10 years, we fostered around 90 children. It was through these children I learned that the parenting techniques we were being taught in trainings and counseling sessions as special placement program (SPP) foster parents, not only did not improve the behaviors of some of our foster children, but actually caused them to act out more.

It was somewhere in about the 6th or 7th year of fostering, while working in my kitchen I had an experience that I can only describe as “a revelation.” My adult son was on the computer in the family room which was open to the kitchen, when I heard “Look up fetal alcohol facial features.” The words were so clear that I looked around to see who was speaking to me, but there was no one there. I had never even heard of fetal alcohol syndrome and had no idea what I was talking about when I said to my son, “When you finish what you’re doing, look up ‘fetal alcohol facial features.’”

Though I was clueless as to what this was all about, nothing could have prepared me for what I would experience next. A few minutes later, my son said, “Mom, come here. Look at this.” I walked over and looked at the computer screen. The background was shaded from a bright turquoise down to a dark navy blue. In the middle was a face that looked like a police composite image of a young boy. Strange new words and phrases like short palpebral fissures, indistinct philtrum, epicanthal folds, minor ear anomalies and micrognathia surrounded the face. Lines connected the words to specific parts of the face. But it wasn’t the words that grabbed my attention. It was the face… a face so like my young daughter that when she saw it, she jumped up and down shouting, “It’s me. It’s me.”

I asked my son if he could remove the words and lines and add my daughter’s hair style to the image. About 20 minutes later, he called me over again. There on the screen was my happy-go-lucky, never-met-a-stranger, sometimes explosive, sleep-disturbed child who often prowled the halls at night pillaging small treasures from her Fowler siblings’ rooms. It was my beautiful little curly-haired pixie-faced angel who had been driven from two different Head Start programs because she could not understand or honor personal space so was constantly in-her-sister’s-space, and because of her all-too-often inappropriate or aggressive behaviors. This was the face that sparked the fire that drove me to educate myself and my world about fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), the devastating developmental damage caused by prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE).

As I researched, studied, and learned about PAE, the pieces of the puzzling behaviors and learning disabilities of some of our foster children began to make sense. The fact that my husband and I were often called to the school to pick up one of our children because of their behavioral problems was more understandable now. And, though we are no longer fostering, I am doing everything I in my power to change the world for these children and adults who live each day with the sensitivities and disabilities caused by prenatal exposure to alcohol.
I educate and help the foster, adoptive, and biological families who are raising them. I educate my world to prevent babies from being damaged by prenatal alcohol exposure. I work to increase understanding of these innocent, and often misunderstood, individuals. I help people understand that environmental changes can make life less stressful for PAE individuals. I teach parents that if a child cannot connect cause and effect, they cannot connect contrived consequences with the behaviors that are being “consequenced.” I teach that unconditional love, gentle understanding, and a calm and caring demeanor will go a long way in developing the trusting relationship that will help them behave in the way they want them to behave.

I have gone back to school at California State University, Bakersfield and earned a BA in Psychology as well as Child, Adolescent, and Family Studies. I have completed everything but my thesis in the Master of Social Work Program and I am wrapping up an individual study in the Public Policy Administration Department, my final class in the Nonprofit Management Certificate program. I plan to complete my MSW soon.

During the last five years I have also graduated from the Network for Children’s Leadership Development Training Program and The Arc of California’s Partners in Policymaking Advocacy Training Program. With the help of Dr. John Diggs, a Developmental Pediatrician and President of the Kern County Medical Society, we brought the Director of the San Diego State University Center for Behavioral Teratology, and international researcher, Dr. Ed Riley, to Kern County to present a training for doctors and othes on FASD. The next year as co-chair of the Kern County FASD Awareness Committee, we brought Teresa Kellerman to Bakersfield to conduct another FASD seminar that included a panel discussion with Teresa and her FAS-diagnosed son John, and Eva Carner and her PAE son Ricki. This event reached more than 160 people, almost four times the number who had attended our previous year’s seminar. These trainings were accomplished with the help and cooperation of many, including as well as Kern County Public Health Department, and Kern County Medical Center, Kern County Superintendent of Schools, Kern Regional Center, Bakersfield ARC (BARC), First5 Kern, HEARTS Connection, and many others.

BARC and First5Kern also funded a billboard campaign with Arc of Riverside County NineZero Project providing expertise, advice, support, encouragement, and the artwork for the billboards as well as posters and training for committee members on NineZero’s "FASTRAC," their FASD teen education program. I offer FASD trainings to anyone who will listen and have presented for parents and public health nurses, KC Network for Children, foster family agencies’ staff and foster parents, and Community Action Partnership of Kern. Along with KC FASD Committee Co-Chair Lorena Diaz, I have gotten up before the crack of dawn to do sunrise TV interviews and conducted lunchtime presentations at various Kiwanis Clubs. We have been reaching as many people as we can with the “Nine months, Zero alcohol” message of NineZero.

As my project for a grantwriting class, I worked with Jim Stream and Mark Cloud of the Arc of Riverside County and wrote a grant that, hopefully, will fund the NineZero project. It has been an honor to get to know and work with the director and staff of this wonderful organization that has accomplished so much in educating the world about prenatal alcohol exposure and changing outcomes for those who have been affected.

Grads

2010-06-08T15:45:00.001-07:00

YEAH to all our seniors throughout the state that are graduating, we are so proud of you. Continue to spread the word - "NineZero".

Website

2010-06-08T15:44:00.001-07:00

Keep updated on our newly updated site - http://www.ninezero.org/

Grant Successes!

2010-06-08T15:38:00.000-07:00

Thank you The Community Foundation for a grant to support our services!!!

Thank you Kaiser for a grant to support our services!

Dear Sanrio:

2010-06-01T14:29:00.000-07:00

Dear Sanrio Corporation:
From: The Arc of California

We, The Arc of California, are part of the nations oldest and largest association for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. We are writing to express our concern regarding your new product, Hello Kitty wine, and the marketing of such a product to an impressionable audience. We are concerned that promoting alcoholic beverages through an icon that has historically been marketed to children will glamorize drinking. The slogan used to introduce this product, Hello Kitty is All Grown Up, equates growing up with drinking. We believe this is a dangerous message you are sending to impressionable children, preteens, teens and young women. Additionally pairing the wine with charms and jewelry serves only to reinforce product promotion to an inappropriate target audience.

There is little difference between Hello Kitty “selling” wine and the historical case of Joe Camel “selling” cigarettes. The Federal Trade Commission charged that RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company promoted an addictive and dangerous product through a campaign that was attractive to those too young to purchase cigarettes legally. The FTC went further stating that the campaign promotes a product that causes serious injury, addiction and death (FTC May 28, 1997 Press Release). Given that the target audience for Hello Kitty is and has historically been young girls the connection can easily be made that this campaign, although not intended for young girls, will influence them directly.

We believe that promoting this product has the potential to increase adverse developmental outcomes for the young girls that are part of the Hello Kitty following. We strongly disagree with any product promotion that uses juvenile characters to promote adult products that are harmful to youth. Intended or not, the Hello Kitty wine promotes underage drinking by the very nature of the character branding and historic relationship with it’s consumers. We are saddened to see Hello Kitty promoting a product that ultimately has the potential to result in adverse outcomes for youth.

Send your letter to:

Sanrio, Inc.
570 Eccles Avenue
South San Francisco, CA 94080

Folic Acid

2010-06-01T10:54:00.000-07:00

A new animal study has found that high levels of the B-vitamin folate (folic acid) prevented heart birth defects induced by alcohol exposure in early pregnancy, a condition known as fetal alcohol syndrome......

"Congenital heart defects can occur in the developing embryo at a time when women typically do not even know they are pregnant - 16 to 18 days following conception. They may have been drinking alcohol or using prescription drugs without realizing this could be affecting embryonic development," Dr. Linask said.

Read more here.

From NineZero's guru: One of the reasons we suspect that folate supplements help prevent neural tube defects like spina bifida. Since alcohol use depletes folic acid and alcohol exposure is associated with an increased risk of neural tube defects.

09-09-10

2010-06-01T10:50:00.000-07:00

FASDay in your city or join us in Sacramento - 09/09/10

Choice

2010-06-01T10:47:00.000-07:00

The health of our future generations lies in the choices of today -

choose to have your pregnancy free from fetal alcohol.

Three Day Training with Diane Malbin

2010-05-27T08:17:00.000-07:00

A Three-Day Training on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders
~~Facilitator: Diane V. Malbin, MSW~~

WHEN: June 24-26, 2010

TIME: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

WHO: For parents and professionals who live and/or work with children, adolescents, or adults with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

WHERE: The Mark Spencer Hotel, Portland, Oregon

COST: $325 (Registration form is attached)

OVERVIEW:
This session provides information about FASD and the effects of other drugs on behaviors of children, adolescents and adults. FASD is a brain-based condition. The training will educate you on the current status of research for identification and a best practices approach to treatment and accommodations. Case examples of successful diagnosis, treatment and accommodation are central to this training.

This is intended for professionals as well as parents of children with confirmed or suspected FASD. Our experience is that the training is enriched by having parents of children with FASD in the same group as professionals.

OBJECTIVES:

* Understand FASD as a brain-based physical disability with behavioral symptoms
* Understand and recognize primary, secondary and tertiary symptoms
* Learn why people with FASD frequently receive overlapping DSM diagnoses
* Understand why traditional behavioral treatment techniques are frequently ineffective for many people with FASD
* Learn to develop and apply effective strategies for people with FASD in different settings

CEU Credits: 19.5 hours of Continuing Education Credit for NASW (National Association of Social Workers) and ACCBO (Addiction Counselor Certification Board of Oregon) have been approved. Certificates of completion will be provided. All participants will also receive a general certificate of completion for the training.

BIO:

Diane V. Malbin, MSW, is an internationally recognized authority on FASD. She is the founder of the nonprofit organization, FASCETS (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Consultation, Education and Training Services, Inc.). She is the author of numerous papers and publications on FASD, and conducts trainings throughout the United States, Canada and Europe.

QUESTIONS: Wendy Temko, Office Administrator at FASCETS - 503-621-1271 or wtemko@fascets.org

A skull is not ok, but a kitty is????

2010-05-25T11:51:00.000-07:00

Just in from Join Together:

A premium vodka sold in a bottle shaped like a skull has been banned from sale in Ontario, Canada, where officials are concerned that the packaging could appeal to children.

- And Hello Kitty is okay???

NineZero's Healthy Baby Shower

2010-05-25T08:59:00.001-07:00

Celebrate the Spring Season by passing on Hope - The Hope for Future Generations of Babies Born FREE from Fetal Alcohol.

Support NineZero's mission for Healthy Babies and Give the Gift that changes lives for future generations to come.

Your donation will help NineZero communicate our message in the following ways:

$50 provides an in-depth and informative presentation to 30 pregnant teens.
$100 gives a pregnancy clinic 100 bracelets.
$100 provides an in-depth and informative presentation to 20 women in substance abuse programs.
$300 will provide 5 pregnancy clinics with 100 information cards about FASD.
$400 gives a pregnancy clinic 500 bracelets.

You can send all Tax-Deductible donations to: The Arc of Riverside County NineZero Project 8138 Mar Vista Court Riverside, Ca 92504 Or email Jennifer at jofarrell@arcriverside.org for more information.

KIIS FM: Are they Encouraging Fetal Alcohol?

2010-05-25T08:57:00.000-07:00

KIIS FM: Are they Encouraging Fetal Alcohol?

This was brought to our attention by two high NineZero Peer Educators from Valley View High School who heard KIIS FM, in their opinion, encouraging alcohol during pregnancy.

Click here to listen to the podcast.

A few comments made in the aired segment:
Friends from Europe drink alcohol all through pregnancy.
A friend last night was having wine, encouraged by her doctor.
If your healthy, your doctor will say that it is okay to have glasses of wine throughout the pregnancy.

They did not come out and state drink all you want, but their were two distinct realities at hand.

The first reality - that doctors are continuing to encourage their patients that a few glasses (which 'few' is a relative term) will not hurt.

The second reality is that wine has branded itself as a "better -for-you" alcohol than beer or hard liquor. It seems refined and thus seems safe. Wine has the same percentage of alcohol by the volume in which it is poured to a single shot of hard liquor. If a woman would not drink a shot of hard liquor she should be aware that a glass of wine is no different.

Again it is a gambling game of your child's health that doctors have not solved. Why run the risk as Ryan Seacrest said "of the associated risks"?

The time is now for healthy thriving babies free from fetal wine, beer, hard liquor, and other spirits.

Hello Kitty meets Colbert

2010-05-25T08:47:00.000-07:00

The Colbert Report

Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Tip/Wag - Hello Kitty Wine & Pig's Blood Filters

http://www.colbertnation.com/

Colbert Report Full Episodes

Political Humor

Fox News

What more can we say to miss Kitty than what Colbert has to say?

Criminal Cases

2010-05-25T08:05:00.001-07:00

An FASD preventer and advocate sent this link to us:

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) sometimes manifests itself as an inability to understand the consequences of one’s actions, a fact that has U.S. courts struggling to reconcile the medical science with justice in a number of criminal cases.

Turning 35, does that make it right?

2010-05-12T08:19:00.000-07:00

“Hello Kitty” has turned 35 and is selling wine.

Some think it’s cute.

We think it sends the wrong message.

What do you think?

Click on this article for more information or read it below:
http://www.marininstitute.org/site/blog/38-blog-entries/467-hello-kitty-says-hello-to-alcohol.html

Hello Kitty—the iconic cartoon image gracing thousands of children’s toys and clothing throughout the globe—is now promoting alcoholic beverages. Wine with names like “Hello Kitty Angel” (white) and “Hello Kitty Devil” (red) will be available for purchase in May.

The Rosé label features Hello Kitty in a little black dress, winking and holding a glass of wine. The “Devil” and “Angel” wine labels show Hello Kitty with a devil’s tail and angel wings, respectively, and heart-shaped tattoos on each of their behinds. The Brut Rose label displays Hello Kitty in a pink onesie with hearts, and has a special prize hanging on each bottle: a little Hello Kitty pendant on a chain.

Italian winemaker Tenimenti Castelrotto, along with with Camomilla, an Italian fashion company, collaborated to sell the wine with the Hello Kitty brand worldwide. Their rationale for this campaign: "Hello Kitty is not just for children. She is a recognized cult fashion icon among teenagers and adults around the world."

The Hello Kitty Wine website also lists recipes for mixing the wine with distilled spirits, juice, and/or sugar to make special cocktails. They look like recipes for homemade Hello Kitty alcopops.

The CEO of Innovation Spirits, the company in charge of marketing the wines in the U.S., said that they see the Hello Kitty brand identity as somewhat mature and open to various product interpretations. Their tagline for the wine products is "Our favorite girl has grown up,” to indicate that Hello Kitty, in her 35 years of existence, has crossed over to being a brand for children and adults alike.

The little kitten advertising the alcohol does not look like mature. Her face looks like a young kitten, not a 35-year-old wine drinker. Children will immediately recognize Hello Kitty on the bottles, and want to have one of the pendants. Teenage girls, not legally able to obtain alcohol, are also attracted to the Hello Kitty brand.

Hello Kitty’s portfolio may have expanded from inexpensive coin purses for girls to include luxury fashion bags for women, but alcohol is not like any other product. It is not for children and adults alike, and should not be advertised as such.

Hello Kitty. What a Pitty.

2010-05-12T08:02:00.000-07:00

Hello Kitty.

What a pity!

Our Friendship is ending,

With the message you’re sending.

It didn’t have to end this way.

Sayonara Kitty!

Ireland Has Highest Binge-Drinking Rate in Europe

2010-05-11T14:15:00.001-07:00

The latest research will do nothing to diminish the Irish reputation for heavy drinking: a survey from the European Commission (PDF) finds that Ireland has a binge-drinking rate three times higher than the rest of the European Union (EU).

The Irish Times reported April 22 that 19 percent of Irish poll respondents said they consumed five or more drinks at a sitting on a weekly basis, compared to 6 percent in the average EU nation, 3 percent in Portugal, and just 1 percent in Bulgaria.

Interestingly, the survey also found that while 27 percent of Irish people said they drank two or three times weekly, 24 percent said they had abstained from alcohol use in the past year -- a sobriety rate that was higher than that in countries like Great Britain, the Czech Republic, and Denmark.

EVA AND RICK’S INCREDIBLE JOURNEY

2010-05-11T13:09:00.000-07:00

By Eva Carner

In 1982, I became the foster mom to a small child who got a pretty rough start to life and an even rougher “pre” start. Rick’s birth mom was addicted to alcohol and for most of his time in her womb, she drank heavily. I was a single, special education teacher and worked with children with developmental disabilities for the Riverside County Office of Education. When Rick came to me at the age of 4, I had little knowledge of his disabilities and what it would mean to his future, and to mine.

ABUSE AND NEGLECT
He wore out his welcome in a few months wherever he went and had survived at least 13 homes by the time he came to live with me. One of his “homes” was the psychiatric ward of a county hospital where he stayed for three months when he was two. Immediately preceding this, he visited his birth mom and returned in a catatonic state. He wouldn’t stop rocking and staring into space. His foster parents couldn’t break his trance and after a few hours took him to the emergency room. When he was discharged, they refused to take him back. All of the placements ended because of alleged abuse in the foster home or because Rick was no longer wanted. Because of this I expected him to have an attachment disorder but when he was 5 a pediatric neurologist diagnosed him as having possible Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and prescribed Ritalin. My medical dictionary and other research didn’t tell me much; just that it was a cause of mental retardation. Rick didn’t look like the photos and had none of the physical characteristics. I dismissed it. I was in denial. I figured a secure, stable, loving home would work wonders for my Ricky.

THE EARLY YEARS
Despite his early problems, Rick made progress. Then he seemed to “plateau” and failed to respond to behavior modification techniques or any other attempts to control his destructive behavior. Those important in his life went to great lengths to try to change his impulsivity, his “non-compliance”, his inability to learn from his mistakes, and his obsessive verbal perseveration (endless repetition of a given subject). Nothing worked. Others met his failures with increasing hostility.

Rick went through a series of special education placements during this time. He was asked to leave all of them. Eventually, at 8 he was placed in private “behavior modification” schools for SED (severely emotionally disturbed), complete with locked “time-out” rooms and hulking “counselors” that “restrained” non-compliant students. In these programs he suffered the most physical and emotional abuse.

OUR CRISIS
At 13 Rick grew to over 6 feet tall, and was suddenly stronger than me. I had been able to physically prevent him from leaving the house when he was smaller but it became increasingly difficult. When he became angry and was unsupervised in the community,
he was dangerous. He was often destructive of property and his impulsive actions threatened himself and others. The breaking point came one day when, in a rage, he tried to push his way past me to the front door. Simply creating a physical barrier to his bolting no longer worked. He was hardened to physical restraint and more willing to use violence. I could no longer contain him. In desperation, to keep him from hurting others and himself, I grabbed a plastic whiffle bat and tried to keep him at bay by swinging it wildly in front of me. We both ended up with a bloody nose and it was he who called the police.

When the patrolman asked me if I wanted him removed, I said “yes.”

They led my little boy away to a psychiatric ward as a “danger to himself and others.” We were both in tears, and he was in handcuffs. I can’t imagine parents believing anything other than they had failed.

MY BREAKTHROUGH
I left my son in confinement and on my way to visit him the next day I bought a book that I had heard mentioned in a newspaper article. It was called “The Broken Cord.” From that book and other materials, I learned for the first time that a newborn doesn’t need all the characteristics of FAS to have serious damage from prenatal alcohol exposure. I learned that brain and other vital organ damage could be severe even in the absence of a developmental disability. I learned that the executive function of the brain is usually affected by prenatal exposure and the most frequent result of this is lack of impulse control. I discovered one other important thing that had never occurred to me – I was not alone. Reading this important book changed my life. It gave me new insight and a desire to learn more. On a spiritual level it gave meaning to the chaos. It turns out that Rick’s confinement was the beginning of a new journey for both of us.

THE REAL STORY
If this were simply the story of a persevering mom hanging in there with an abused kid and overcoming adversity and some of the affects of a traumatic childhood it would make good reading but it wouldn’t begin to tell the story. This story is not my story but the story of thousands of kids born each year with brain damage caused by prenatal exposure to alcohol and experiencing the same things. Experts estimate that 5000 babies are born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) in the United States each year. Who knows how many remain undiagnosed? It’s the number one prevent able cause of mental retardation in our country. These figures are for FAS alone. An estimated three to ten times this figure have other disorders related to prenatal alcohol exposure. The term now commonly used by researchers and experts to describe everyone affected by maternal drinking is Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). FASD is the entire iceberg while FAS is the small tip above the waterline and in full view. A recent study found that approximately one newborn in a hundred has significant damage caused by prenatal alcohol exposure. Individuals having effects “below the surface” of this iceberg have more problems because that water is murky and it’s hard to see. Trouble with the law, substance abuse, disruptive school experiences and mental illness occur at alarming rates in individuals with FASD. Called “secondary disabilities” many of these can be prevented. The most important way to prevent them is by getting appropriate services for those who need them. But where to turn?

THE CRISIS IN EVERY COMMUNITY
We are learning that FASD is a widespread problem that affects all demographic groups and all communities. To realize we have a real crisis -- a silent one, but one nonetheless -- we only need look at the latest research and at certain adolescent behaviors. We can find these high-risk choices among the youth in every city, suburb and town. A recent survey of high school students commissioned by the Center for Disease Control in Washoe County, Nevada revealed that 46.8% of high school students had drank alcohol in the last 30 days, 32.2% had drank five or more alcoholic drinks in one setting in the past 30 days, and 48.6% had sexual intercourse. Some of the most troubling findings come from a longitudinal study at the University of Washington by pioneer researcher Ann Streissguth, Ph.D. In a study of over 400 individuals with FASD she found that by the time they reach adulthood, 94% have mental health problems, 70% have been suspended, expelled or dropped out from school, and 70% of women and 53% of
men have substance abuse problems. This is only a sampling of a growing body ofknowledge on FASD. One colleague likened the information emerging on prenatal exposure to alcohol to research on radiation poisoning. Each year for a while in the middle decades of the last century, experts found that less and less exposure caused serious damage to more systems of the body. This is happening with research on prenatal exposure to alcohol as well. Besides the human toll, the cost to society to treat one individual with FAS over a lifetime is close to a million dollars.

THE JOURNEY CONTINUES
It has been over a decade since my crisis-producing epiphany and my son and I have a good relationship. Time is a great healer and it seems with better understanding and support for Rick much of the emotional damage of those terrible years has been reversed. Rick is a very loving, gentle and humorous young man. I don’t take credit for that. It is his natural, God-given nature. He simply needed an opportunity to show it. I am fortunate. Many parents have far more problems as their child enters adolescence
and beyond.

Though I’m a single mom, I had to quit my job as a Special Education teacher and start a business I could do from home. I am one of the lucky parents of a child with a Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder -- my son qualifies for services through the regional center system of California. It is sad but true that a protective factor for secondary disabilities caused by FASD is an IQ or overall intelligence score below 70. Those above this amazingly arbitrary number are usually locked out of the service system. This is something we seek to change in California and nationally, as the systems that often end up “treating” our children with FASD are called substance abuse, mental health and criminal justice.

Abstainers, Quitters as Well as Current Drinkers

2010-05-11T13:02:00.000-07:00

New Report Highlights Alcohol Abstainers, Quitters as Well as Current Drinkers
By Bob Curley

A new federal report may not show how many Americans are in recovery from alcoholism, but it does provide interesting insights into the number of adults who have quit drinking or abstain for health and other reasons.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics estimated in its Health Behaviors of Adults: United States, 2005-2007 report (PDF) that 61.2 percent of American adults currently drink alcohol, but that 24.6 percent are lifetime abstainers and 14.3 percent of Americans call themselves former drinkers.

Of the latter, 8.1 percent said they are former infrequent drinkers, while 6.2 percent classified themselves as former regular drinkers. Pat Taylor, executive director of Faces and Voices of Recovery, said more research is needed on why people decided to stop drinking, particularly those who formerly were regular drinkers.

"Until we understand that, we won’t be able to help the over 22 million Americans still struggling with alcohol and other drug problems," said Taylor.

Men (67.6 percent) were more likely than women (55.3 percent) to be current drinkers. More white adults were current drinkers (64.2 percent) than members of any other ethnic group; Asians were the least likely to drink (43.1 percent).

Most of the current alcohol users surveyed were considered to be light drinkers (29.3 percent), while 14.4 percent were classified as moderate drinkers, 12.3 percent were considered infrequent drinkers, and 5 percent were labeled heavy drinkers (having more than 7 drinks per week for women, or more than 14 drinks per week for men, on average, during the past year).
The study found a distinct correlation between income and education level and alcohol use, but not one that fits with the stereotype of the poor, ignorant drunk. In fact, current drinking levels increased steadily alongside education, with holders of masters, doctorate, or medical degrees far more likely to drink (73.9 percent) than individuals who did not graduate from high school (44.3 percent). The richest Americans also were much more likely to drink than those living below poverty level.

Interesting, the inverse was true among those adults who had chosen to quit drinking: holders of the most advanced degrees were half as likely to have ended their former infrequent or regular drinking as high-school dropouts, and poor Americans likewise were more likely to have stopped drinking than richer ones.

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

2010-05-11T12:52:00.000-07:00

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.

Tell us your thoughts.

Thanks Teresa

2010-05-06T08:47:00.000-07:00

FASD in the Court System
©2002 Teresa Kellerman
www.fasstar.com

Many individuals with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) have been in trouble with the law, as indicated by research and as families learn from experience. Ann Streissguth's recent long-term study of secondary disabilities reveals that of the 415 individuals with FASD who completed the study, 60% of the adolescents and adults have been in trouble with the law for various crimes, ranging from shoplifting to domestic violence.

Trouble with abusing alcohol and other drugs is another common problem in this group of individuals. In the same study, Streissguth's research indicates that 50% of the men and 70% of the women with FASD have problems with alcohol or other drugs.

There is an overlap with these two groups. Of those who get into trouble with the law, 80% have problems with alcohol/drug abuse. The reasons might be more easily understood when one learns more about the brain dysfunction that is apparent in individuals with FASD. More often than not, an individual with FASD will eventually be challenged with navigating the court system, either in the criminal courts or the drug courts.

Here is a real life example of how easily a child with FASD can get into the criminal injustice system: A teen with FASD was arrested at school under the new anti-terrorism law for answering a question on a test. The question (an extra credit one) was, "What would you like to change about the school?" His answer was, "Blow it up." He was taken to jail immediately. This is a boy whom the school district knows has FASD. The principal told the mother that he has 3 A's on his report card, so he must know right from wrong. Two more true story can be found here: Expelled and Suspended

NEW! Presentation on FASD and Legal Issues Now Available Online Judge Anthony Wartnik of FASD Experts announces that their presentation on FASD in the Legal System is now available in PDF format at their web site FASDexperts.com.

Several other presentations by Wartnik and Dr. Paul Connor of the same group are also available online: Click here.

Below are links to documents that might be helpful to parents, lawyers, probation officers, and judges. These are intended not to make FAS or FASD an excuse, but to offer FAS or FASD as an explanation of why these individuals do what they do (make the same mistakes over and over, without learning from the consequences of their actions). Some documents are in MS Word format, others are web pages. All can be printed and shared with court system professionals and families in the interest of assisting in formulating a program that will maximize success for the individual, with the goal of keeping the person out of the court system and functioning in the social environment without jeopardizing the safety of themselves or others.

The following web sites have information related to FAS and Crime:

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: Implications for Correctional Service
Crime Times Search by subject: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
Treatment of Adults and Adolescents Impaired by Fetal Alcohol Exposure by Streissguth
Impaired Executive Function Streissguth Study Abstract
Boy In a Man's Body
A Mother Speaks Out
Look Who's In Jail!
Ticking-Bomb Baby
Sitting Ducks for Assault
John Eastlack Story
FAS Common on Death Row
Judge's Nudge Badly Needed
A Mother's Reply
Prisoners with FAS
Secondary Disabilities Streissguth CDC Study
Three-Year Nightmare CBS News Story
Suncoast Crime Prevention Program
Personal ID Card To Inform Police About FASD (Word Doc)NEW!
Personal ID Card To Inform Police About FASD (PDF file)NEW!
Information about use of ID card for persons with FASD
Success Depends on Neurological Functioning Study by Kathy Page PhD
FAS/FAE Legal Issues Resource Center from Streisguth at FADU and the University of Washington Law School
FASD and the Legal System from Prince George Northern Family Health Society
Persons With Mental Disabilities Who Confessed to Serious Crimes But Were Later Found To Be Innocent - by Robert Perske
Advice from a Lawyer by David Boulding (pdf file)
Asante Centre Collection of excellent articles on FASD in the criminal justice system

Trainings, presentations, and workshops on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and the court system are available:

Fasstar Enterprises Teresa Kellerman
FACTS Fetal Alcohol Consultation and Training Services Deb Evensen

Morgan, 16

2010-05-06T08:43:00.001-07:00

Wine has Antioxidants

2010-05-04T15:21:00.001-07:00

Today at a local school, wine was the topic. NineZero's question: "Is just a little alcohol okay?" Students Response: "Not a shot or a beer but wine is ok." Student Response: "Wine has antioxidants." Student Response: "I hear wine is good for the heart." NineZero Response: "And what if I told you that wine has the same alcohol percentage as a shot of hard liquor based on the size? Would you then feel okay about drinking wine during pregnancy?" What strikes me in all of this is the amazing marketing of wine with all its health benefits. We cannot deny, at this point, the health benefits to adults (when used properly) yet to the developing fetus wine is a different story. It would be great for wine companies to continue to share about the health and share that for the health of the baby, enjoy wine after the nine months.

A whole group of girls

2010-05-04T15:14:00.001-07:00

For three days, last week, the NineZero Team shared their message with 35 middle school girls who stayed after school to hear the information on their own time, not school time. They were full of energy, comments, and QUESTIONS. What was striking to me was they were able to quickly grab on to the 6 week window where a woman does not know she is pregnant yet can damage her baby by the consumption of alcohol. They understood the impact and ramifications of that reality more quickly than some of the high school students do. These young ladies were truly surprised of the damage and became advocates for healthy babies, like Baby Jordan (who they named), our "healthy" Baby Think it Over. One class we were without PowerPoint and I have to stay that was fun to present creatively to get them to grasp fetal alcohol.

Healthy Baby Baby Shower

2010-05-04T14:23:00.000-07:00

Over 10,000 babies are born each day in the United States. 3 are born with Muscular Dystrophy, 4 with HIV, 8 with Spina Bifida, 10 with Down Syndrome, 20 with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, and 100 with Fetal Alcohol Effects.

Today you can help NineZero reduce the number of babies born with fetal alcohol which is the number one cause of mental retardation and it is 100% preventable.

Celebrate the Spring Season by passing on Hope - The Hope for Future Generations of Babies Born FREE from Fetal Alcohol.

Support NineZero's mission for Healthy Babies and Give the Gift that changes lives for future generations to come.

Your donation will help NineZero communicate our message in the following ways:

$50 provides an in-depth and informative presentation to 30 pregnant teens.
$100 gives a pregnancy clinic 100 bracelets.
$100 provides an in-depth and informative presentation to 20 women in substance abuse programs.
$300 will provide 5 pregnancy clinics with 100 information cards about FASD.
$400 gives a pregnancy clinic 500 bracelets.

You can send all Tax-Deductible donations to: The Arc of Riverside County NineZero Project 8138 Mar Vista Court Riverside, Ca 92504 Or email Jennifer at http://www.blogger.com/jofarrell@arcriverside.org for more information.

The cost of health and resources to the individual affected by alcohol and to the community outweighs ten-fold the cost of preventing Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders from occurring.

Healthy babies FREE from FASD are Good for Everybody!

Adoption returns

2010-04-27T10:27:00.000-07:00

NineZero Project More and more stories of parents returning their adopted children due to lack of knowlegde of exposure to alcohol. This can be prevented!

http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/04/13/children.adoption.mental.health/

PSA - Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

2010-04-27T09:48:00.000-07:00

No Mulligan Needed as Storm Clouds Bypass Value of One Charity Golf Classic of The Arc of Riverside

2010-04-27T09:42:00.002-07:00

On April 21, 2010 The Arc of Riverside County hosted its annual Value of One Charity Golf Classic at Indian Hills Golf Club in Riverside. The event raised funds and awareness for our organization and for the inherent value of people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities. By all ways of measuring fundraising events, this one was a big success.

The threat of rain was with us early in the morning but the clouds parted just enough to provide a rain-free day until the last few minutes of play. After the last golfer was safely in the clubhouse and enjoying the awards dinner and a silent auction, the sky opened up with heavy rainfall.

Under the able leadership of volunteer tournament director Mike Stearsman, and his trusted sidekick, board of director's member Dan Baldwin, the event came off without a hitch. This was Mike's 24th year of hosting this tournament for people with disabilities and the second year that The Arc has been the recipient of his charitable efforts. It was Mike that answered an e-mail query the night before the event asking about what to do if it rained with these words, "It will not rain." Even the weather obeys.

Eight board of directors members were at the event. Four of them hosted foursomes and four others worked tirelessly as volunteers. Special recognition goes to Kit Mac Nee, Mike Warren, Bianca Blua and President Margie Lumbley for helping in various capacities most of the long day. Board members Dan Baldwin, Rich Williams, Ron Domme and Bud Luppino either hosted or sponsored foursomes. Other board members participated in other ways such as cash donations or silent auction items.

Other volunteers included staff members Michelle Anderson, Carol Mona, Jennifer O'Farrell, Mark Cloud, Martha Owsian, interns Kelly Nordmeyer and Aimee Perez, and Jan Shafer of First National Bank.

We also want to thank our Gold sponsors for the event:

Bud’s Tire & Wheel

Premier Service Bank

Guy Yocom Construction

Bob Hogan Insurance

SECC Corportation

Stong Insurance, SVC

Olive Garden, Moreno Valley

And a special thanks is owed to our hole-in-one sponsor, Walter's Automotive Group of Riverside.

Lastly, we wish to thank our many friends, old and new, who took time from their busy week to support our event and the individuals for whom we advocate and provide services. We hope to see you next year.

Please enjoy some of the images of this year's event.

Other thanks:

Verizon
Al Muskat, Commonwealth Financial Network
Migliore Gourmet Foods for delicious seasoned sausage and dipping oils
Micah Ries, chiropractor and wellness practitioner, for on-site neck and back massages
Golf pro Mike Hancock for the free golf clinic and for hitting drives for tournament players off the first tee (for a small donation to our cause)
Indian Hills Golf Club
Jennifer O'Farrell of WhiteWave Photography
Mike Bacich (who happens to be a board member at The Arc) and everyone at Riverside Public Utilities

Story of Iyal

2010-04-27T09:42:00.001-07:00

YHS is Ready for NineZero

2010-04-20T08:25:00.000-07:00

A snippet into a week of NineZero engaging youth:

Last week, Volunteer and previous NineZero Peer Educator at Ramona High School, Katie and I, traveled to Yucaipa High School for a full day of presentations. The day was fabulous and students and faculty are excited to be trained next school year and become NineZero Peer Educators themselves.

The students had a wide range of questions, like other high school classes about the fact that it is preventable, the scope of the damage to a baby, how can they help.

There was once class that took it a new level and wanted to ask and discuss about the consequences legally for women that do drink during pregnancy. If the woman is causing harm, what happens? If harm is done to a child CPS but what do you do when the harm is in the womb?

First, this is a great celebration of the thinking and academics students are receiving - to have a third level questions of the realities and ramifications of FASD is fabulous.

Second, it opened up into the whole can of worms about rights, pregnancy, choice, responsibility, etc. And allowed students to see even more reason to speak out and share the information - to all, not just to who they think needs to hear it because what they learned was that there is no one demographic, FASD shows up in the homes of the wealthy and the poor.

This is why Peer-to-Peer is so successful!! Students engaged, thinking, and making change!

University "Talk Show"

2010-04-20T08:19:00.000-07:00

It was with great pleasure to speak at a local university's graduate program last night on behalf of a friend in the class. The class is one of the requirements for the soon to be school counselors and presentations were based on students disabilities or challenges. My friend, knowing NineZero, thought FASD should be the platform to talk on and in his brilliance we performed a live 'talk show' with Q&A of the basic of what FASD is, how does it manifest in students, what significant aspects should teacher and counselors know, how to bring success to these students in the academic years.

It was great and the class had some awesome questions afterwards and truly found the format and the information hugely valuable.

Prom Night

2010-04-20T07:34:00.000-07:00

It is the season of Prom and as rightly so there is much dialogue about student drunk driving. There are polls and surveys by Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) and Insurance companies finding out how many students will drink and drive.

Other surveys are out for the number of incidences of unprotected sex that will happen on prom night. This is such a big season and the choices our young people make can and will effect them today but can also effect an unknown developing baby. It takes at minimum 6 weeks before a woman knows that she is pregnant. Not to mention the many women and students who (due to denial and other home factors) did not realize they were pregnant for a few months. Either case, 6 weeks to 2 months is a long time for the potential of the baby to be exposed to alcohol and slow down or stop whatever development was occurring at that time.

Education is key and vital for the health of students and babies.

FASD and Epilepsy

2010-04-20T07:31:00.000-07:00

Six percent of children who had Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) later developed epilepsy, compared to a rate of less than one percent in the general population, according to researchers at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario.

Study author James Reynolds and colleagues studied 425 individuals ages 2-49 and found that epilepsy risk was highest among those who had been exposed to alcohol in the first trimester or throughout their mother's pregnancy.

The study was published online and will appear in the June 2010 issue of the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.

White Middle Class Women Drink during Pregnancy

2010-04-05T08:39:00.000-07:00

CHICAGO (CBS) ―

This is a baby picture of Kristy Botka. Today, she is 26 years old but has the IQ of an infant because her mother drank while she was carrying her.

CBS 2's Mike Puccinelli reports.

Fetal alcohol syndrome is the only preventable cause of brain damage to an unborn baby. Despite that, each year in this country more than 40,000 babies are born impaired because when their moms drank, they were forced to drink, too.

Vivian Botka's adoptive daughter reacts to being removed from the car. Kristy Botka is 26 years old but has the IQ of a baby. And what's most heartbreaking for her mom is it didn't have to be this way.

"Sometimes I wonder what she would have grown up to be," Vivian said. "Would she be a doctor, a lawyer, a nurse?"

But Kristy never had a chance.

"Kristy is somebody who should have had a normal life," said Ajeet Charate of the National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. "She's a very, loving, caring person. But she did not have the opportunity."

She didn't have the opportunity because her mother drank during her pregnancy.

"Her words were, 'I didn't know. I would not have ever harmed a child,'" Vivian said.

That was more than a quarter-century ago, when information about the effects of alcohol on pregnancy was scant. Now, though, what's most concerning for researchers is that a large percentage of women are still drinking.

"We found that middle class Caucasian women have the highest rates of alcohol use in pregnancy," Dr. Ira Chasnoff, president of Children's Research Triangle, said.

While a quarter of those women drink during pregnancy, the eight-year study showed unacceptably high rates across the country.

"The rate of alcohol use during pregnancy is as high as 20 percent to 35 percent in some populations," Chasnoff said.

And even one drink at the beginning of pregnancy can permanently change the brain. Chasnoff says no amount of alcohol is safe during pregnancy.

"It's like playing roulette," he said. "You just don't know when the right combination of factors are going to come together to affect that baby for his entire life."

"Alcohol exposure during pregnancy is the leading cause of mental retardation in the United States. So why take that chance?" Chasnoff added.

Now it does help dramatically when a mother stops drinking after she learns she's pregnant. But the bottom line is the experts say if you're having unprotected sex, you should never drink.

April marks Alcohol Awareness Month

2010-04-05T08:34:00.000-07:00

Founded in 1987 by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD), Alcohol Awareness Month aims to raise community awareness about the gravity of alcohol abuse and addiction, and to educate the public that alcoholism is a disease from which a person can recover.

Studies show that 1:100 babies are born with fetal alcohol.

Other studies show that if a woman's first child is born with fetal alcohol it is a 77% increased chance her second will too.

Lastly, 64% of people with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders will have alcohol and drug addictions which increases the cycle.

Let's change the tide and prevent FASD!

Johnson bill targets fetal-alcohol research

2010-04-05T08:26:00.000-07:00

Sen. Tim Johnson, D-S.D., has introduced The Advancing FASD Research, Prevention, and Services Act to improve research, prevention, and services for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). FASD is an umbrella term that describes a range of physical and mental birth defects that can occur in a fetus when a pregnant woman drinks alcohol.

The legislation contains provisions to require the National Institutes of Health to develop a research agenda, improve the ability to screen and identify disorders, and facilitate the development of statewide systems and community partnerships. The bill would also provide federal grants for pilot projects to determine and implement the best practices for educating children with FASD within the school system, as well as educating professionals about services for children.

Federal grants would also be made available to states, tribes, tribal organizations and other non-profit organizations to develop support services such as vocational training, housing assistance, and medication monitoring services for adults with the disease.

Local IE Walk

2010-04-05T08:20:00.000-07:00

March of Dimes has their annual walk.

Details to walk for healthy babies: April 24, 2010

Riverside Community College, 4800 Magnolia Ave Dept 1293

Walk Distance: 6miles

Registration Time: 7:00 AM

Start Time: 8:00 AM

63 District

2010-04-05T08:01:00.001-07:00

Assemblyman Bill Emmerson recently announced the 63 women from his district that will receive his Woman of Distinction award, which the Assemblyman established six years ago. Among the recipients

is Jennifer O’Farrell, program coordinator for The Arc of Riverside County’s NineZero Project.

Each year, Assemblyman Emmerson selects just 63 women to receive the award. Recipients of the award reside in and serve communities throughout California’s 63rd district, which is made up of 11 cities throughout the Inland Empire. O’Farrell was selected for her many volunteer activities and her dedication to the community. In addition to raising awareness across the region of the dangers of drinking alcohol during pregnancy, which is the aim of the NineZero Project, O’Farrell sits on a number of boards and committees for organizations like the YWCA Riverside County, The Pick Group, student mentorship programs, high school motivational speaker, and Riverside MayorRon Loveridge’s Green Action Plan Committee, among others.

O’Farrell is honored by the award, “I serve the community because I love the community and the people in it, and I am honored to be recognized,” said O’Farrell.

How It Affects the Nation - 2010 Census

2010-03-23T10:40:00.000-07:00

How It Affects the Nation - 2010 Census

US Census

2010-03-23T10:36:00.000-07:00

We want to take a moment to encourage you, those you work with, your neighbors to fill out the census. It offers crucial data for the health and well being of our communities.

For more information visit:

http://2010.census.gov/2010census/

How it affects us - http://2010.census.gov/2010census/why/index.php

Reminder ALL that Federal law protects your identity and the information you give us.

http://2010.census.gov/2010census/privacy/index.php

Prevention Works!

2010-03-23T09:33:00.000-07:00

Prevention has success and here is a story of prevention at work in Alaska with First Nations people.

A federally funded treatment and prevention program is being credited with a 32-percent decline in fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) cases among Native Americans in Alaska, the Anchorage Daily News reported Feb. 19.

The $29-million program, which also included a multimedia education campaign, "did turn the corner," said Diane Casto of the state Division of Behavioral Health. "What we know about prevention ... you need to get the message out strongly, consistently, over and over again. It gave a good kick-start."

The rate of children born with FAS among native populations declined from about 20 per 10,000 births in 1996 to 13.5 in 2002, according to state officials. Also, fewer children were born with alcohol spectrum disorders.

By contrast, the FAS rate among non-Native residents in Alaska did not drop.

Power of Peer-to-Peer

2010-03-17T12:54:00.000-07:00

The key component of engaging youth in the conversation and information about fetal alcohol is through our Peer-to-Peer curriculum. It is significant for it not only empowers the Peer Educators but is one of the most effective ways to intiate behavioral transformation.

Here are some thoughts from others:

High risk teenagers who participate in peer-led substance abuse prevention programs reduce their drug use by approximately 15 percent versus traditional curricula, suggests a study led by researchers at the University of Southern California (USC). The study will appear in the journal Addiction, and is now available online.

Thomas Valente, Ph.D., assistant professor of preventive medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, "Generally, our study emphasizes the power of peers. We found that social network-tailored prevention curricula can be very successful in achieving long-term behavioral changes in teenagers."

Quote

2010-03-17T12:51:00.000-07:00

A great quote from - Colleen O’Leary, M.P.H., of the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research.

“Not every smoker gets lung cancer despite being at higher risk—and in this case, not every child will be affected by prenatal exposure to alcohol. However, it is important that women have this information about increased risk so that they can make informed decisions to give their child the best start to life."

Read more - here.

Gangs

2010-03-17T10:34:00.000-07:00

TORONTO - A higher incidence of fetal alcohol syndrome among some aboriginal communities in Canada is making their youth more vulnerable to being lured into gangs, experts say.

Methamphetamine and Alcohol

2010-03-17T10:32:00.000-07:00

Brain abnormalities indicate prenatal meth exposure

Email this article
Date: 2010-03-16
Contact: Mark Wheeler
Phone: (310) 794-2265
Email: mwheeler@mednet.ucla.edu

It has long been known that alcohol exposure is toxic to the developing fetus and can result in lifelong brain, cognitive and behavioral problems. Now, a new report out of UCLA shows that the effects of prenatal methamphetamine exposure — or worse, a combination of methamphetamine and alcohol — may be even more damaging.

Reporting in the March 17 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience, UCLA professor of neurology Elizabeth Sowell and her colleagues used structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) to show for the first time that individuals whose mothers abused methamphetamine during pregnancy, with or without alcohol abuse, had structural abnormalities in the brain that were more severe than those seen in children whose mothers abused alcohol alone.

The researchers identified the brain structures that are vulnerable in such exposure, which may help predict particular learning and behavioral problems in methamphetamine-exposed children.

"We know that alcohol exposure is toxic to the developing fetus and can result in lifelong problems," said Sowell, the study's senior author. "In this study, we show that the effects of prenatal meth exposure, or the combination of meth and alcohol exposure, may actually be worse, and our findings stress the importance of seeking drug-abuse treatment for pregnant women."

In particular, said Sowell, a structure in the brain called the caudate nucleus, which is important for learning and memory, motor control and punishment and reward, was one of the regions that was more reduced by methamphetamine than alcohol exposure.

Of the more than 16 million Americans over the age of 12 who have used methamphetamine, about 19,000 have been pregnant women, according to 2002-04 data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

"About half of women who say they used meth during pregnancy also used alcohol," Sowell said, "so isolating the effects of meth on the developing brain was difficult."

The researchers overcame this challenge, she said, by recruiting women who abused alcohol but not methamphetamine during pregnancy and compared them to the children with exposure to both drugs, and to a group that was not exposed.

The neuroscientists evaluated the specific effects of prenatal methamphetamine exposure by comparing brain scans of 61 children, whose average age was 11. Of these, 21 had prenatal methamphetamine and alcohol exposure, 13 had heavy alcohol exposure only and 27 were unexposed. Structural magnetic resonance imaging showed that the sizes and shapes of certain brain structures varied depending on prenatal drug exposure.

Previous studies have shown that certain brain structures are smaller in alcohol-exposed children. In this study, the authors found that these brain regions in methamphetamine-exposed children were similar to those in alcohol-exposed children and that in some areas they were even smaller. Some brain regions were larger than normal. For example, an abnormal volume increase was noted in methamphetamine-exposed children in a region called the cingulate cortex, which is associated with control and conflict resolution.

"Either scenario — smaller or larger growth — could be a bad thing in kids with prenatal drug exposure," Sowell noted. "There are enormous developmental changes that take place during adolescence. These drugs are likely altering the trajectory of development, and clearly not in a good way."

This brain imaging may also aid in treatment. Because the researchers were also able to predict a child's past exposure to drugs based on imaging and IQ information, detailed data about vulnerable brain structures may eventually be used to diagnose children with cognitive or behavioral problems, even when well-documented histories of drug exposure are not available.

"The tragedy here is that all these developmental problems are 100 percent avoidable," Sowell said. "The important message is to urge drug-abusing women to seek treatment during pregnancy."

Other authors on the paper included Alex D. Leow, Susan Y. Bookheimer, Lynne M. Smith, Mary J. O'Connor, Eric Kan, Carly Rosso, Suzanne Houston, Ivo D. Dinov and Paul M. Thompson, all of UCLA.

The research was supported by the National Institute of Drug Abuse, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, and the March of Dimes. Additional support was provided by the National Center for Research Resources, the General Clinical Research Center, and the National Institutes of Health.

The UCLA Department of Neurology encompasses more than a dozen research, clinical and teaching programs that cover brain mapping and neuroimaging, movement disorders, Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, neurogenetics, nerve and muscle disorders, epilepsy, neuro-oncology, neurotology, neuropsychology, headaches and migraines, neurorehabilitation, and neurovascular disorders. The department ranks first among its peers nationwide in National Institutes of Health funding.

To all our Educating for Careers Conference Teacher

2010-03-11T12:40:00.000-08:00

We received an overwhelming response from teachers at Educating for Careers Conference for our one of a kind Peer-to-Peer curriculum.

To our teachers:

NineZero wants to welcome and invite your students to become Prevention Partners in spreading the word “NineZero.” NineZero stands for “Nine months, Zero alcohol!”

Why Implement NineZero in your classroom and at your school:

NineZero has a one of a kind, easy to use, Peer-to-Peer curriculum, FASTRAC, which accompanies standards in health, biology, and/or anatomy classes.

It is one presentation, one class time, per section, per semester.

Our Peer-to-Peers have stated that their Public Speaking increased 88%; their knowledge about FASD increased 98%; and the class reaction from their presentation was 85% positive.

Through students, they will Educate and Prevent Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders.

Drinking alcohol during pregnancy is a serious health problem in every community. It is the number one cause of FASD and mental retardation in the United States.

The goal is three fold:
To provide an effective and concise presentation about FASD to students by students.
To train students to become peer educators and gain leadership and public speaking skills.
Research shows that peer-to-peer education on the topics of sex and alcohol is one of the most effective communicators and behavioral transformations for students.

Help create youth leaders and prevent FASD that is an epidemic in our school system, social services, and criminal justice system.

Let the NineZero Team know how we can help get the NineZero Project’s FASTRAC at your location, for this next school year.

Thank you and have a great day,

The NineZero Team
(951) 688-5141
www.ninezero.org

Peer Educators FASTRAC Evaluations

2010-03-11T12:38:00.000-08:00

Our Peer-to-Peers have stated that their Public Speaking increased 88%; their knowledge about FASD increased 98%; and the class reaction from their presentation was 85% positive.

Be our Friend

2010-03-08T14:16:00.000-08:00

Do not forget to visit us at:

Life long detriment

2010-03-08T14:14:00.000-08:00

Estrada, who faces either life in prison without parole or the death penalty for the capital murder conviction, has brain damage because of partial fetal alcohol syndrome, Adler surmised. He has the developmental age of a 10-year-old, he said.

“We say that FASD is a lifetime impairment,” Adler told jurors, explaining that patients have problems with maturity, social skills, judgment and impulse control. “That (immaturity) is actually present all throughout his record.”

Read more about EStrada, here.

AB 1694 in the Process

2010-03-08T14:00:00.000-08:00

AB 1694, as introduced, Beall. Alcohol-Related Services Program.

Existing law requires the State Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs to perform various functions and duties with respect to the development and implementation of state and local substance abuse treatment programs.

This bill would, in addition, establish the Alcohol-Related Services Program and the Alcohol-Related Services Program Fund and would authorize the State Board of Equalization to assess and collect specified fees from every person who is engaged in business in this state and sells alcoholic beverages for resale, as prescribed. The bill would require the fees to be deposited into the fund and would continuously appropriate those moneys exclusively for the alcohol-related services programs established pursuant to this bill.

The bill would authorize the State Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs to establish, contract for, or provide grants for the establishment of component services under the program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that
reimbursement.

Visit - http://www.chargeforharm.org/site/cfh-home/387-charge-for-harm-rally-to-pass-california-ab-1019.html

Or - http://www.arccalifornia.org/CAFASDtaskforce.htm

Cause for Concern: National Study Shows Reversal in Decade-Long Declines in Teen Abuse of Drugs and Alcohol

2010-03-08T13:52:00.000-08:00

Cause for Concern:

National Study Shows Reversal in Decade-Long Declines

in Teen Abuse of Drugs and Alcohol

After a decade of consistent declines in teen drug abuse, a new national study released today by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America® and MetLife Foundation points to marked upswings in use of drugs that teens are likely to encounter at parties and in other social situations.
According to the 2009 Partnership Attitude Tracking Study (PATS), sponsored by MetLife Foundation, the number of teens in grades 9-12 that used alcohol in the past month has grown by 11 percent (from 35 percent in 2008 to 39 percent in 2009), past year Ecstasy use shows a 67 percent increase (from 6 percent in 2008 to 10 percent in 2009) and past year marijuana use shows a 19 percent increase (from 32 percent in 2008 to 38 percent in 2009).

The PATS data mark a reversal in the remarkable, sustained declines in several drugs of abuse among teens: methamphetamine (meth) was down by over 60 percent and past month alcohol and marijuana use had decreased a full 30 percent over the past decade from 1998-2008.
More Teens Using Alcohol, Ecstasy and Marijuana Makes Early Parental Action Even More Critical

“These new PATS data should put all parents on notice that they have to pay closer attention to their kids’ behavior – especially their social interactions – and they must take action just as soon as they think their child may be using drugs or drinking,” said Steve Pasierb, president and CEO of the Partnership.

The resurgence in teen drug and alcohol use comes at a time when pro-drug cues in popular culture – in film, television and online – abound, and when funding for federal prevention programs has been declining for several years. This places an even greater burden on parents.

Among the parents surveyed for the PATS study, 20 percent say their child (ages 10-19) has already used drugs or alcohol beyond an “experimental” level. Among parents of teens ages 14-19, that percentage jumps to 31 percent, nearly one third.

Disturbingly, among those parents of teens who have used, nearly half (47 percent) either waited to take action or took no action at all – which studies show put those children at greater risk of continued use and negative consequences.

Many misunderstand that NineZero's goal of educating and engaging teens of their alcohol use and its affects on pregnancy is not solely for teenage pregnancy but also for later in life as they begin to establish families.

Yet for those students engaging in sex without contraception and the increase in alcohol (and drug) use the ramifications of the health of babies is wavering.

We need to educate and change the tide so that history does not continue to repeat itself.

We Value Dignity and Respect

2010-03-08T13:50:00.000-08:00

NineZero supports the end of the R word. Visit The Value of One for more information.

2010-03-08T13:34:00.000-08:00

This Week:

2010-02-23T09:12:00.000-08:00

This week for the NineZero Team:

1. Contracts with schools and counties.

2. Preparation for the big California Partnership Academy Conference this weekend and the following Monday and Tuesday.

3. NineZero is at Elsinore High School to teach and plan for next year!

Michigan FASD Conference

2010-02-23T09:08:00.000-08:00

Continuing Studies UW Madison:

International Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) Conference

April 9-10 Sault Ste Marie, MIchigan

www.dcs.wisc.edu/pda/fasd/conference.htm

Poverty and FASD

2010-02-23T08:50:00.000-08:00

Here are snippets from an interesting article on poverty.

Long before a child is able to speak up for himself, he can suffer damage that will affect his entire future, his whole lifetime.

Child physical and sexual abuse have been widely publicized in recent years, but many people do not realize the impact neglect has daily on children across this area, across Oklahoma, across the nation. Merely living in poverty, even with hard-working parents, puts a child at risk.........

Willis said the number of children living in poverty — and hence at risk for reduced potential of mental and physical development — is appalling in the United States.

She quoted figures from studies showing fewer than 3 and fewer than 4 percent of children in Norway and Denmark live in poverty. But in America, 21.3 percent of children exist in poverty.

“We’re supposed to be the richest country in the world. Where is all that — on Wall Street?” she asked.

This could be prevented.

“If you can start with a pregnant mother and get her eating well, taking care of herself, you’re going to get babies in a lot greater shape,” she said. “A lot of things are 100 percent preventable – for example, fetal alcohol syndrome.” .....

This woman hit it on the nose - poverty has a ripple affect for generations to come and the more we can encourage physicians, clinicians, hospitals, clinics, and their prenatal patients that there is no safe time and no safe amount of alcohol that can be consumed. Health is not solely for the individual but for the whole community and the communtiy to come!

The Question is Back...

2010-02-23T08:44:00.000-08:00

Well the question has peaked itself back into journals, magazine, blogs, and other on-line articles : Should women who birth babies with FAS/FASD be sterilized?

This is an old question being highlighted again due to the onsight of increase FASD and Autism rates in our country.

Tell us what you think.

32% decrease in FAS

2010-02-23T08:29:00.000-08:00

Great news- the state has documented a 32 percent drop in the rate of Alaska children born with fetal alcohol syndrome. A state health official is attributing the decline largely to programs started under a multi-year, $29 million grant former U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens obtained in a 2000 congressional earmark.

One goal was to change attitudes toward drinking during pregnancy by educating women, their friends and family, alcohol servers and medical providers about the threat of FAS. The state produced public service announcements, newspaper, radio and TV ads that some communities are still using.

Read the full article here.

FASD Center For Excellence

2010-02-17T07:41:00.000-08:00

FASD Prevention Programs that are ran by the FASD Center for Excellence. A great resource for the community. Together - NineZero and Project CHOICES will help babies thrive!

Project CHOICES targets women at risk of having an alcohol-exposed pregnancy before they become pregnant. Most women do not realize they are pregnant until well into the first trimester, and many drink alcohol during this time. Project CHOICES focuses on reducing drinking and preventing pregnancy through contraception with women 18 to 44 who are sexually active and drinking alcohol at risk levels (eight or more drinks per week or four or more drinks on one occasion). Project CHOICES uses a four-session intervention to achieve its results. The intervention uses motivational interviewing methods. In 2004, the organizers of Project CHOICES published the results of the pilot study (Project CHOICES Intervention Research Group, 2003). A more recent report presents the positive results of the randomized controlled trial (Floyd et al, 2007). Six programs are funded under this category, and include state and local agencies:

State:
•New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS)
•Texas Office for Prevention of Developmental Disabilities (TOPDD)

Local:
•San Diego Youth & Community Services (CA)
•ARC Community Services, Inc. (WI)
•Pine Belt Mental Healthcare Resources (MS)
•Serving Children and Adolescents in Need, Inc. (TX)

We would like to see ourselves partner with San Diego first and continue on....

FASteam.org

2010-02-16T07:41:00.000-08:00

The story of how FASteam.org came to birth:

The U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration defines fetal alcohol syndrome disorder as “an umbrella term describing the range of effects that can occur in an individual who was prenatally exposed to alcohol.” These lifelong effects can be physical, mental and behavioral, and involve learning disabilities.

Walt Teichen of Elmhurst, Ill., knows this all too well. His 29-year-old son was born with it.

“We adopted Kevin in 1981 when he was only three days old,” the 58-year-old Teichen said. “He was in special education his whole life and nobody could figure out what was wrong. They thought he had ADHD.”

Kevin tended to make bad behavioral decisions, didn’t understand consequences, and didn’t have friends. He talked incessantly and didn’t respect boundaries. Kevin graduated from high school reading at a sixth-grade level and doing math at a third-grade level. In 2001, after suspecting another cause for his problems, Teichen’s wife sought out a mental health professional.

“The psychiatrist said Kevin had FASD, would be arrested soon and often (because of his behavioral choices) and he needed to spend the rest of his life in a group home,” Teichen said.

Almost on cue, a week later, Kevin was arrested for shoplifting and trying to pawn goods to help an acquaintance purchase heroin. A second time, police arrested him for helping a person steal $30,000 in automobile parts. Another time, while driving a cab, he stole a customer’s credit card number to purchase pizzas for friends.

Most recently, police charged him with aggravated sexual abuse of a 16-year-old girl.

In 2003, Teichen helped start an organization, now called FASteam.org, to raise awareness about fetal alcohol syndrome disorder and the permanent damage done to children when mothers drink alcohol while pregnant.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration estimates that at least 1 percent of Americans have a fetal alcohol syndrome disorder and most don’t know they have it. Most people with it don’t have the distinctive facial features, Teichen said.

He noted a large percentage of babies adopted from Eastern Europe have the disorder and perhaps one-third of the U.S. prison population has it.

“It’s more prevalent than autism,” he said. “The numbers are staggering.”

Despite the enormity of the problem and the billions of dollars it’s costing the American society, the entire country has only one residential program especially for people with the disorder. It’s in Duluth, Minn., he said.

Good reference site

2010-02-16T07:34:00.001-08:00

This site contains a simplistic but informative list of the how, what, why, where, and when of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.

Click here to read it.

Textbooks

2010-02-16T07:17:00.000-08:00

Interesting awareness for textbook creators:

During the last couple of centuries the form of teaching has not changed much. There are the professors who deliver the knowledge, there are the books that store the knowledge and there are students who suck this knowledge. The textbooks are a great source, yet not every student is able to use them. There are those who suffer some disorders which makes these people incapable of reading. Such people may have some of the following medical conditions: blindness, different types of autism, dyslexia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, fetal alcohol syndrome and many others.

People who suffer from those conditions are usually unable to read which means that they can’t learn. They are unable to use traditional textbooks the way other students use them, and therefore can’t be taught in the same way.

Fathers and mentors pairing to fight FASD

2010-02-16T07:14:00.000-08:00

An Alberta First Nation band hopes pairing fathers with mentors will help battle the problem of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.

The program on the Tsuu T'ina First Nation, called Gathering Together, has men from the community mentoring fathers. Some of those dads have addictions. Others have a child with FASD, which is caused by women drinking while pregnant.

Studies show the behaviour of fathers has a significant impact on the behaviours of all family members, said Richard Amaral, a psychologist and the program coordinator. Women in relationships with men who don't drink or use drugs tend to have fewer struggles with addiction.

"Many of the nations fathers also needed support. They also needed some type of mentorship. Teaching them how to be a dad, how to be a good loving father, how to be a spouse," he said.

"A lot of our young aboriginal men and men in general who struggled with addiction in the past have never had that opportunity to develop those types of relationships."

Richard LeBlanc mentors six men on the Calgary-area First Nation.

"What society has told men to be is tough and you don't need any help to take care of your family, you got to do it all on your own. It was about a month before I connected with anybody. Once I did establish connections with them it's hard to get them to stop talking now. "

FASD refers to a range of disabilities that are seen in people whose mothers drank alcohol while they were pregnant. Problems children face can include learning disabilities, memory loss, short attention spans and difficulty understanding the consequences of actions.

The program on the Tsuu T'ina First Nation is paid for by Health Canada. Amaral and LeBlanc are hoping for extra funding so they reach more men in the community.

Job Shadow Day with Local Students

2010-02-16T07:08:00.000-08:00

Every year I have the honor of mentoring juniors at North High School. Many have become a Peer Educator with NineZero others have been participants of their presentations. The four students above are (left to right) Visalia, Laura, Jenn (me), and Kaylah.

Click here for the Press Enterprise article or read below:

Nearly 70 students in the John W. North High School Education and Human Services Academy spent Friday morning learning what it takes to be an attorney, educator, business owner, nonprofit professional or government official during the annual Job Shadow Day.

The annual event gave students a chance to see what life is really like for people working in different professions. Job Shadow Day also reinforces to students the importance of setting goals and working hard to achieve those goals, no matter what they might be.

North junior Marla Loeza, 17, toured the Riverside Unified School District office. According to organizers of the event, the student is now interested in pursuing a career as a special education teacher because it will allow her to combine her interest in helping people with an interest in teaching.

Student Brianna Martinez, 16, hopes to become a coroner, but still enjoyed visiting the district office to learn about the many career opportunities in education.

Meanwhile, after touring Riverside's historic courthouse and meeting Superior Court Judge Sharon J. Waters, 15 students came to Best Best & Krieger in downtown Riverside.

"Every day is different. Issues arise that you don't anticipate but that's what makes the job challenging and fun," said attorney Rahsaan Tilford, who works in the firm's Ontario office.

Attorney Paeter Garcia urged the group to go to college no matter what career path they choose.

"You don't have to know what you want to do -- just go," he said.

Students visited their mentors at Riverside Unified School District's main administrative office, maintenance and operations division, nutrition services and purchasing offices; Longfellow, Patricia Beatty and Woodcrest elementary schools and North High School; Best Best & Krieger law firm; Watermaster Support Systems; Riverside City Hall; California Baptist University; Riverside Community College; Riverside County Office of Education and the Arc of Riverside County's Nine Zero Project.

All too painful to hear

2010-02-09T07:47:00.000-08:00

Last year, the NineZero team, The Arc's Value of One Team and SHARE, brought out a contact from South Africa, specifcally Kayamandi. Our goal was to find out what support Kayamandi needs in order to prevent the high numbers of FAS and ARND incidences from occuring. The need we saw is great and the process to help is slow.

At this point conversation remains, grant searching remains and the partnership holds true....

Here is an update on South Africa:

In the picturesque, wine-producing region of South Africa's Western Cape, excessive alcohol consumption has been documented as all too common. Same with fetal alcohol syndrome.

Until the 1920s, farm labourers received daily wine allocations as part of their remuneration. The so-called "dop" payment system has been outlawed, but heavy drinking, even among pregnant women, still persists. So when University of B.C. researchers set out to study the effects of alcohol on newborns, they collaborated with South Africans also studying the alcohol-afflicted population.

The area reportedly has the highest prenatal alcohol use in the world; hence, it also has a disturbingly high rate of fetal alcohol syndrome. Eleven per cent of farm workers' children have it, compared to a Canadian rate of 0.9 per cent, based on a broader definition.

In a paper to be published in the April issue of the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, UBC pediatrics professor Dr. Tim Oberlander and co-researchers from B.C., Michigan and South Africa show that prenatal exposure to alcohol blunts pain responses.

The painful event in question was pricking the babies' heels and squeezing to collect drops of blood -- standard screening tests for metabolic diseases like hypothyroidism.

Infants whose mothers consumed at least 14 drinks per week while pregnant or had been binge drinking before delivery did not react to the pain the way babies born to a control group of non-drinking moms did. (Heart rate, facial grimacing and other measures of pain were observed.)

The alcohol-exposed babies were considered healthy. Their vital signs were within normal range and they weren't intoxicated or suffering from withdrawal. They were, however, at risk of an eventual diagnosis of fetal alcohol syndrome.

Along with observable pain responses, researchers also checked for stress levels by analysing saliva samples taken before and after the heel prick. Samples from 28 babies were sent to a UBC lab for analysis of stress hormone (cortisol) concentrations.

Surprisingly, alcohol-exposed infants had decreased cortisol levels after the heel prick, while there was no change in the levels of control infants not exposed to alcohol.

The findings are interesting because studies have shown that as adults, people with fetal alcohol syndrome have increased anxiety, depression and aggression and altered responses to stress. Yet as infants, as shown by the current study, they have a dulled response.

While it might seem like a good thing that alcohol-exposed infants shut down or withdraw in response to pain, symptoms of fetal alcohol syndrome (emotional and cognitive impairment) indicate there is very likely a turning point in the development of the stress response system. But when and how must be the subject of future research, Oberlander said.

The $40,000 study was funded by the UBC Child and Family Research Institute, Wayne State University and the state of Michigan.

2+2=

2010-02-09T07:43:00.000-08:00

Things we know:

Children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) have a number of cognitive deficits.
Mathematical ability seems particularly damaged in children with FASD.

Things we are eager to know:

A new study supports the importance of the left parietal area for mathematical abilities in children with FASD.

“Our findings demonstrate a link between brain structure and cognition that provides insight into how the FASD brain works,” said Lebel, “and also help understand mathematical processing in a larger population because of the similarities to previous studies. Ultimately, a better understanding of the underlying cause of the various cognitive deficits in FASD may lead to better treatment and improved quality of life.” Read more here.

Still Researching

2010-02-09T07:33:00.000-08:00

I am still trying to look into this and see what is accurate. Yet at this point, this shows a deep for NineZero's message in our own city (Riverside) and in the state (let alone the nation).

Here is what USA Today discovered in Men's Health:

Fresno, Calif., tops Men's Health magazine's list of America's "drunkest" cities while Boston, home to the "Cheers" bar where everyone knows your name, was deemed the "least drunk," besting even Salt Lake City.

How the Drunkest cities were discovered:

The magazine, which will publish the list of 100 major cities in March edition, drew upon such data as death rates from alcoholic liver disease, booze-fueled car crashes, frequency of binge-drinking in the past month, number of DUI arrests, and severity of DUI penalties.

See full list below, including grades for each city from A to F
"Drunkest" cities:

Fresno, Calif.
Reno, Nev.
Billings, Mont.
Riverside, Calif.
Austin
St. Louis
San Antonio
Lubbock, Texas
Tucson
Bakersfield, Calif.

City of Fresno, California Police Department motorcycle officer Jake Dellone conducts an intial

By Jack Gruber, USA Today

Depression in Pregnancy May Lead to Antisocial Teens

2010-02-09T07:26:00.000-08:00

Below is an article that was sent to me by a Coalition on Pre and Post Pardum Depression. What I found most intriguing is the correlation of answers from students that I receive when training them in NineZero's curriculum (FASTRAC). When students are asked, "Why do most women drinking alcohol during pregnancy?", I would have to say that the two answers students give are: 1) Because they want to miscarry the baby and 2) because of stress. (On a side note: both of those answers can be true and are true, we remind students that the number one reason why most women drink alcohol during pregnancy is because they do not know they are pregnant yet). Stress tends to be a huge epidemic itself amongst students across the board and being pregnant so young doesn't help I am sure.

More on stress and pregnancy and teens:

(HealthDay News) -- Teens whose mothers were depressed during pregnancy are at increased risk for antisocial behavior, including violence, a new study suggests.

The British researchers also found that women prone to aggressive and disruptive behavior in their teen years are more likely to become depressed during pregnancy, which shows that a mother's history predicts her children's antisocial behavior.

The study included 120 inner-city youth and their mothers. The children's mothers were interviewed while they were pregnant, after they gave birth, and when their children were 4, 11 and 16 years old.

Mothers who were depressed during pregnancy were four times more likely than normal to have boys and girls who were violent at age 16. The mothers' depression was predicted by their behavior problems as teens.

"Although it's not yet clear exactly how depression in pregnancy might set infants on a pathway toward increased antisocial behavior, our findings suggest that women with a history of conduct problems who become depressed in pregnancy may be in special need of support," Dale F. Hay, a professor of psychology at Cardiff University in Wales, said in a news release.

The study is published in the January/February issue of the journal Child Development.

More information

The U.S. National Women's Health Information Center has more about depression during and after pregnancy.

Community

2010-02-02T08:54:00.001-08:00

Last month was a full month for community collaboration for us.

Although education is essential and the prime vehicle for NineZero, we recognize that we are not an entity to ourselves and we exist amongst various businesses and communities that are contributing to the health and well-being of our city, our state and our nation.

Our Executive Director is a key player at the State level and plays a crucial role for California's Task Force on FASD. He also connects on the national level with our agency The Arc of US.

Additionally, on a local level we partner in various collaborative efforts within Riverside County. Some of these collaborative are: Optimist, The Pick Group, Riverside Chamber of Commerce, ACCESS for the Future, Corona-Norco Substance Abuse Prevention, Riverside Challenges of Youth Collaborative, U.N.I.T.Y., Business Education Partnership, Soroptimist, Challenges of Youth, IEHP collaborative, Perinatal collaborative, and many more.

Our small but mighty staff continues to educate and connect to our local community and beyond.

Norco High School

2010-02-02T08:48:00.000-08:00

Wednesday and Thursday this week we will be training students about FASD and how to educate and share with their peers through our peer-to-peer empowerment curriculum (FASTRAC).

Norco is another high school spreading the message - Nine months, Zero alcohol!

Partnership with PCARC

2010-02-02T08:34:00.000-08:00

Over the past year, the NineZero Team has formed a friendship with Prevent Child Abuse of Riverside County. Their Executive Director, graciously has told their staff that "NineZero is the first step to preventing child abuse". Thank you to Elton for seeing what we are about and encouraging the health of babies.

We would agree. The prevention of any preventable disability or disorder is the first step to child abuse prevention and a stable home. FAS and ARND are 100% preventable and can radically alter a person's life and cause severe pain and struggle. We aim to prevent abuse and prevent FASD through the empowerment education and social awareness.

Join us and PCARC as we prevent FASD and offer babies a first step to a happy and healthy life!!

Learning to Learning

2010-02-02T08:31:00.000-08:00

Learning2Learning give a brief update on if learning styles matter?

In this case the focus is on FAS. Children who suffer from FAS (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome) have real problems learning because they have ‘blockages’ in their brain. These ‘blockages’ are very hard to pinpoint and you never know what effect FAS will have on as child’s ability to learn.

Read more here.

Dolls designed to educate parents on baby care

2010-01-26T08:28:00.000-08:00

FLORENCE - The infant doll showed all the signs of fetal alcohol syndrome. It was shaking and there was an unmistakable tremble in its cry. There also was an extra fold of skin under the eyes.

The transparent head on a nearby doll exposes the brain, making it clear what happens when a baby is shaken. The brain shifts violently and brain function is impeded.

The cries of the child continue until the neck is snapped, which also can signify death.

The dolls are the latest tools to help numerous non-profit agencies in the area educate the public about the dangerous effects of shaken baby syndrome, fetal alcohol syndrome and drug addiction.

The simulators display realistic, humanlike characteristics. In fact, the voices and motion of the dolls are those of actual infants.

For Eric and Christy White, the demonstration they viewed Monday was an eye-opening experience.

The Whites' participation in the program was part of their paternity hearing Monday in Lauderdale Circuit Court Judge Jimmy Sandlin's courtroom.

They said any personal differences they may have are readily put aside for the well-being of their 2-year-old son, Devan. The now-divorced couple have welcomed the court-appointed program.

"Even though my son is 2, you need to know the limit on playing too rough," Eric White said. "I just realized from

seeing that doll, it doesn't take much at all to injure a child's brain."

Christy White had similar thoughts.

"When they handed me the baby doll to shake, it just tore me up to do it," she said. "I can't imagine anyone doing that to a child, but it has made me much more aware and I'll keep my eyes open when I see other people handling their children.

"It's good for us both to have this information to pass on to people we may date in the future. Everyone needs to know how delicate the brains of babies and small children are and we can never be too careful with them."

The 30 dolls obtained with an $11,000 grant through the Lauderdale County Children's Policy Council will be used in many other venues offered by local agencies.

Local state legislators - Sen. Bobby Denton, D-Muscle Shoals, Rep. Tammy Irons, D-Florence, and Rep. Mike Curtis, D-Greenhill - helped secure the money and they were on hand Monday when the dolls were distributed to 10 area agencies. They said they hope to see similar efforts duplicated statewide.

"We need programs using these dolls in every region of Alabama," Denton said. "The cost of these dolls is nothing compared to the benefit they provide."

Curtis agreed.

"If these dolls save the life of even one child, it's worth it," he said.

Sandlin said there's no way to gauge how many people and agencies will be reached by the doll simulators.

"As representatives of each agency share information about the program, we know the interest will be there, and we fully expect them to be widely utilized, well beyond just the agencies that are starting out with them," Sandlin said.

Sheila Weaver teaches parenting classes through the Community Action Agency. In demonstrating the doll for the Whites, she said their reaction was that of many who see it for the first time.

"They're amazed at how quickly irreversible brain damage or worse, death, can be inflicted," Weaver said. "These dolls issue a very sobering reality and they're going to help a lot of people. We'll use them a lot in stress/anger management classes, and also in classes where first-time mothers are young and maybe don't know how to react to a crying child they can't console."

Kelley Parris-Barnes, the director of the state's Department of Child Abuse and Neglect, told the group assembled Monday that their efforts to get the dolls into the community for education will go a long way toward eliminating brain-injured babies.

"Your area is truly a leader in educating people on these issues with children, and I appreciate the fact that the education you offer goes way beyond just the use of these dolls," she said.

"It's the preventative measures and statistics you share. It makes it very real to people."

Irons said the dolls also are advantageous because people gain a better understanding from having a hands-on experience.

"Sometimes we learn better by having something in our hands as opposed to reading facts on paper," Irons said.

The program lasts for 16 weeks. All three dolls are used in the presentation.

Lisa Singleton-Rickman can be reached at 740-5735 or lisa.singleton-rickman@TimesDaily.com.

Can an ultrasound determine if a baby has fetal alcohol syndrome?

2010-01-26T08:09:00.000-08:00

Answer

Meconium (fetal excretions) testing is the way doctors find Fetal Alcohol Syndrome,not ultrasound.There is no cure for FAS.

If Meconium testing for Fatty Acid Ethyl Esters could be mandatory for every birth, doctors would be aware of patients drinking and even if they state otherwise and would prevent long-term damage to the child.

The Shame Blame

2010-01-26T07:45:00.000-08:00

A soon-to-be-mom wrote on her blog:

"I went to my local library to do my research and I found it amazing as to where I found my information. I was a little disturbed to find that my information on fetal alcohol syndrome was with the books for people with drinking problems and books on how to become a better mother. It kind of makes me sick. I felt like people were judging me because I was in that section and I am pregnant. But I know that I would never do that to my baby and that's all that matters."

This struck me this morning about how much shame and blame there is on the subject of fetal alcohol. It makes my heart sad to know that women do not share that they have because of it. Women that do not look down up those that have. What makes this simple prevention complicated is shame and blame. How can we get beyond that?

Everybody Into the Autism Pool!

2010-01-26T07:33:00.000-08:00

A great post from Terri's Special Children blog.

Comment on - let us hear your thoughts.

My colleague Lisa Jo Rudy at About.com Autism left a comment recently on a post in which I lamented the lack of respect given to Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder and wondered whether alcohol's identification as a cause of autism might make people take precautions about drinking during pregnancy more seriously. She wrote, "Actually, according to Dr. Susan Levy who runs the Autism Center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (and is a big muckety-muck) -- if the symptoms appeared before age 3 and are consistent with an autism spectrum diagnosis, the causes are irrelevant. What that means, according to Dr. Levy, is that FAS can in fact be a cause of autism, and often is." You can read more of Dr. Levy's response on Lisa's site, but the gist of it is that if it walks like autism, and it talks like autism, and it happens before age three, it's autism no matter what else might be going on.

Well. I appreciate the invitation to hop on the autism bandwagon, since that seems to be where all the excitement is these days. But in the fourteen years since my son, two years old and recently adopted from Russia, was diagnosed with Fetal Alcohol Effects instead of autism, I've come to believe that FASD is the umbrella under which all his various broken pieces fall -- autistic behaviors, ADHD behaviors, Tourette's behaviors, occasional seizures, sensory integration problems, developmental delays, low muscle tone, and a whole bunch of other loose ends. A diagnosis of autism, even if it might have been accurate, would not have been useful.

In a book that opened my eyes to the value of an FASD diagnosis, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Fetal Alcohol Effects: Strategies for Professionals, Diane Malbin writes: "It's been said that parenting children with undiagnosed FAS/FAE is like trying to find your way around Cincinnati using a road map of Denver. It's a good map -- it worked in another city, and some of the streets have the same names, but they just dead-end or don't go where you expect." When I've tried to parent my FASD kid like he had autism or ADHD, I've had that same feeling, that the right streets are there but they veer off in the wrong directions. Strategies for FASD like the ones in Malbin's book have always worked the best.

What have you found with your child? Is making autism your child's primary diagnosis, even though it may not be the full story, a helpful thing? Or does a more specific diagnosis serve your child better? Share in the comments.

She

2010-01-26T07:22:00.000-08:00

A daunting story of pain on someone's life that could have been prevented. Found this story from a blog about public health educator in an inner-city clinic:

“I will never forget ------ from Mississippi. Twenty-one years old and in her first pregnancy, ------ was four feet seven inches tall, weighed 75 pounds, and could not read. A victim of fetal alcohol syndrome, her mother’s perpetual drunkenness before ------ was born had left her with mild retardation as well as many congenital abnormalities that required surgery. One of her siblings, born without legs, died. ------came north to live with a foster 'aunt,' but she had been sexually active back home, her aunt said, 'for food.' ------ had few choices about the situation life dealt her. People always told her she would die if she got pregnant, she told me, because she was so small.”

Smiling UCR Faces

2010-01-26T07:13:00.000-08:00

This weekend the NineZero Team hosted a booth at the Riverside's Youth Opportunity Center's College and Health Fair.

I had a great time engaging with many of the amazing students from the University of California, Riverside (UCR). They are full of energy and passion to help and we look forward to the additional partnerships that can happen on campus with the NineZero message.

Pictures to come - stay tuned!

For who are scarred by the R word

2010-01-19T14:16:00.000-08:00

Do You Want the Term "Mental Retardation" Removed from Federal Laws?
New federal bill would replace this stigmatizing term with "intellectual disability"

On November 17, Senators Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) and Michael Enzi (R-WY) introduced "Rosa's Law" (S. 2781), a bipartisan bill to substitute outdated, stigmatizing terms in federal health, education and labor laws. The terms "mental retardation" and "mentally retarded" would be substituted with the terms "intellectual disability" and "individual with an intellectual disability." Click on the image at left to watch Senator Mikulski's speech on the Senate floor when she introduced the bill.

This bill is very important for people with intellectual disabilities who understand that language plays a crucial role in how they are perceived and treated in society and are actively advocating for terminology changes in federal and state laws. 'Mentally retarded," once an accepted medical term, is now often used to demean and insult people. Changing how we talk about people with intellectual disabilities is a critical step in promoting and protecting basic civil and human rights.

As of December 21, Rosa's Law has 15 cosponsors in the Senate and the support of more than 30 national organizations.

Take Action -visit here or here

If your Senators are already cosponsors, please send a quick email thanking them. If your Senators are not yet cosponsors, please ask them to cosponsor Rosa's Law.

Sample messages are provided, based on whether your Senators are cosponsors or not, when you click on the "Take Action" link and enter your zip code. Please add any information about yourself and why this issue is so important to you.

What Are the Next Steps?

In early 2010, we will launch a campaign to get a companion bill introduced in the House of Representatives.

If grassroots advocates continue to let let their Senators and Representatives know that Rosa's law is a priority, the bills will be much more likely to make their way through the lengthy legislative process and become law.

Sonora High School

2010-01-19T13:25:00.000-08:00

The NineZero Team presented last week at Sonora High School. We were graciously greeted by 150+ Medical ROP Academy students.

The questions these students asked were phenomenal. Questions spanned topics like:

Do courts try FASD individuals differently?
What signs are there of FASD in order to help those individuals?
Since the damage is huge to a baby, how come more people are not talking about prevention?

It was a great day!

Eastside Riverside Rotary

2010-01-19T13:20:00.000-08:00

The NineZero Team was graciously awarded with a $500 check from Eastside Riverside Rotary.
Thank you for investing in the health of future babies!

Teen Expo

2010-01-19T13:03:00.000-08:00

Join NineZero and many many other colleges and resources.

There will be a lunchoeon for parents and a tour of the Eastside Clinic with a chance to win an Ipod!

The Gift to Help Haiti

2010-01-19T09:15:00.000-08:00

The NineZero Team is happy to hear about the March of Dimes grant to UNICEF to help thousands of pregnant women, mothers and babies in Haiti imperiled by the devastating earthquake and its aftermath.

“The March of Dimes is deeply concerned about the thousands of pregnant women and moms caring for infants in Haiti, especially extremely fragile premature babies” said Dr. Jennifer L. Howse, president of the March of Dimes. “Many babies and young children have been separated from their families, others are feared orphaned.”

The March of Dimes special gift of $100,000 will help Haitian women who are pregnant or breastfeeding and babies who are in dire need of proper nutrition, safe water, and safe ways to prepare infant formula, as well as supplies such as diapers and clothing.

Ensuring that water is available for pregnant women and their growing baby is crucial.

Thank you March of Dimes for the gift to help Haiti babies.

DNA affected

2010-01-19T09:09:00.000-08:00

Drinking too much during pregnancy can harm offspring permanently. Now experiments in mice suggest this may be because alcohol chemically alters the fetus's DNA, affecting how genes are expressed.

Interested? Click here to read more of the study.

January Book for the Month

2010-01-13T08:44:00.000-08:00

We are highlighting ADHD and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders by Dr. Kieran D. O'Malley. This is for all interested in ADHD and FASD and even more recommended for educators and professionals.

"This multi-author book will discuss the history and clinical presentation of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders(FASD). These developmental neuropsychiatric disorders result from prenatal exposure to alcohol during any gestational period of pregnancy. The book addresses the co-occurring presence of ADHD in patients with FASD. ADHD is the most frequent neuropsychiatric presentation of FASD throughout the lifespan and it is particularly difficult to manage because the underlying pathophysiology is related to prenatal neurotoxic brain injury."

"Although prenatal alcohol exposure , and the resulting FASD, is recognized as the commonest preventable cause of intellectual disabilty, many clinicians and educators are not aware that 75 to 80% of the patients with FASD have I.Q.s over 70. Thus, the neuropsychiatric presentation of FASD can often be unrecognized or misunderstood. FASD are the true clinical 'masqueraders' and ADHD is their most likely disguise! "

January is National Birth Defects Prevention Month

2010-01-12T16:19:00.001-08:00

January is National Birth Defects Prevention Month sponsored by The National Birth Defects Prevention Network. Although not all birth defects are preventable the medical community does offer several suggestions to increase the likelihood of having a healthy baby.

An important step in preventing birth defects is a preconception visit with a health care provider, especially because an estimated 50% of pregnancies are unplanned. This visit can be an opportunity for doctors to detect/discuss preexisting conditions (diabetes, high blood pressure, etc), educate women about known teratogens (alcohol, tobacco, drugs, environmental toxins) and encourage healthy lifestyles that are conducive to pregnancy (healthy diet, folic acid and other vitamins necessary for fetal health). Prenatal care and newborn screening are also essential steps in preventing birth defects.

The National Birth Defects Prevention Network, the March of Dimes and the Centers for Disease Control have several resources, brochures, campaign materials and tool kits designed to promote pregnancy health and the prevention of birth defects.

To find out more about preventing birth defects visit these sites:

1. The National Birth Defects Prevention Network
2. The National Birth Defects Prevention Network and the Centers for Disease Control / Birth Defects Prevention Brochure
3. March of Dimes Pregnancy and Newborn Health Education Center
4. The National Birth Defects Prevention Network/ 10 things You Need to Know About Birth Defects

Teresa Anderson, Chair of the California Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Task Force, The Arc of California would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge that birth defects related to prenatal alcohol exposure are 100% preventable. We reiterate the Surgeon General’s warning by reminding everyone that there is no safe amount of alcohol during pregnancy.

For more information about FAS/FASD visit:

5. The California Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Task Force
6. California Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs, Office of Women and Perinatal Services
7. California Department of Public Health

Policy

2010-01-12T16:16:00.000-08:00

Make policy changes and help those without a voice - here .

FAS Hits Hard in South Dakota

2010-01-12T09:23:00.000-08:00

South Dakota, like many states, is seeing an increase in babies born with FASD. In these challenging times, an aim to prevent to reduce the widespread cost is urging many legislators to make a difference.

Here is a snippet of the larger article.

Sen. Tim Johnson listened Friday to officials from the University of South Dakota Center for Disabilities describe the challenges of studying and preventing fetal alcohol spectrum disorders as tight budgets constrain their ability to understand the scope of a problem that seems to afflict South Dakota more than other states.....

A study done with Minnesota, North Dakota and Montana suggests ongoing work is needed, said Judy Struck, the center's executive director. It found 20 percent of mothers drank alcohol during some stage of pregnancy, and children affected by fetal alcohol disorders often are not diagnosed until ages 8 to 12."Is it fair to say we are raising a generation of brain-disabled young people as long as the fetal alcohol problem continues?" Johnson asked.

They put the FUN in Dysfunction

2010-01-12T09:15:00.000-08:00

We are a large multi-racial adoptive family and we put the FUN in dysfunctional.

Currently our kids teach us about living with:

BiPolar Disorder, Attention Deficit Disorder, Asperger's Syndrome, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Conduct Disorder, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, and Pervasive Developmental Disorder.
Our daily lives include medications, doctors, therapies, love and a whole lot of laughing.

For the many of you that work with or have FASD children, this is an encouraging and honest family blog.

Click here to read more.

The Land family's Journey

2010-01-12T08:56:00.000-08:00

The Land family shares of the findings we have read and have been told by other agencies working with South Africa - that the need for FASD education and prevention is HUGE. Here is a brief story of a family's journey and another emphasis on the need for The NineZero Project to be more than and national campaign but a global campaign.

Muizenberg, South Africa

Not many years ago this beach was only for white people. However, now in a post Apartheid world, government sanctioned segregation, it can be used by all. Despite a reversal of Apartheid rule in 1994 millions of black and colored South Africans still find themselves suffering in the townships they were forced to live in by the previous government with no hope of finding their way out. The smaller township of Capricorn is just a short 15 minute walk from this world renowned surf beach.

Fish Hoek, South Africa

Nestled in a small cove to the southeast of Cape Town is the town of Fish Hoek. This predominately white community is known for being a dry town; meaning they do not sell alcohol from retail locations. In a country plagued by alcoholism and its effects this is very unusual. As a whole South Africa has one of the highest rates of alcoholism in the world which leads to a myriad of problems including homelessness, domestic abuse, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, increased crime, high incidence of motor vehicle accidents, and unsafe sexual practices which increase the risk of contracting HIV/AIDS & other STD’s

For more about the family, click here.

ERIC

2010-01-05T07:37:00.000-08:00

ERIC - Education Resource Information Center has an article that may be helpful for many of our readers.

The title is:
Executive Function Deficits in Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) Measured Using the Cambridge Neuropsychological Tests Automated Battery (CANTAB).

Brief Synopsis:

Chronic prenatal alcohol exposure causes a spectrum of deleterious effects in offspring, collectively termed fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), and deficits in executive function are prevalent in FASD. The goal of this research was to test the hypothesis that children with FASD exhibit performance deficits in tasks that assess attention, planning and spatial working memory.

Methods:

Subjects (8-15 years male and female children) with a diagnosis of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), partial FAS (pFAS), or alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder (ARND), and age- and sex-matched controls, completed four tasks selected from the Cambridge Neuropsychological Tests Automated Battery (CANTAB[R]).

Results:

Compared with age-matched control children (n = 92), subjects with FASD (n = 89) exhibited longer reaction and decision times (effect size range; Cohen's d = 0.51 to 0.73), suggesting deficits in attention. Children with FASD demonstrated deficits in planning and spatial working memory that became more pronounced when task difficulty increased. The largest effect size in this study population (Cohen's d = 1.1) occurred in the spatial working memory task. Only one outcome measure revealed differences across the diagnostic subgroups, although all groups were different from control.

Conclusion:

This study demonstrates that deficits in multiple executive function domains, including set shifting, planning and strategy use, attention and spatial working memory, can be assessed in children with FASD using an easy to administer, brief battery of computer-based neuropsychological tasks. The tasks appear to be equally sensitive for brain injury resulting from prenatal exposure to alcohol, regardless of the presence of facial dysmorphology.

Quiet

2010-01-05T07:26:00.000-08:00

It has been a quiet two weeks for the NineZero Team. With schools on winter break, volunteers on vacation, interns on break there are no trainings, no presentations, just quietness.

It has allowed us time to write grants, get caught up on paper work that seems to build up and to reflect on the year.

It has been a tough year, as it has been for many non-profits, the need is up (drinking consumption is up) and the resources are more scarce.

It has also been a year of break through. The NineZero message is now in 27+ schools and has had 10,000+ students hear the message this last year and a half.

We celebrate numbers like that!

It has also been a year of revamping our substance abuse curriculum as well as our materials that are aimed for clinics, health departments, and hospitals.

2009 taught the NineZero Team to put up our dukes, not back down and keep pushing forward for prevention is the way of health.

And we hope to prevent any child, any life from the detrimental effects of fetal alcohol.

Blue Blue Christmas

2010-01-05T07:25:00.000-08:00

It was a blue Christmas for 5-year-old Zachary Travis on Wednesday as Santa Claus and his boys in blue brought toys for the little boy, who has fetal alcohol syndrome.

"Thank you, Blue Santa," the boy said as he ran and put each individual present under the tree, then returned to the police for more.

Want to know more about that blue blue Christmas, click here.

Volunteering

2009-12-28T09:36:00.000-08:00

"Like so many other people, I started out thinking they made their beds and now have to lie in them," she said, choking back tears. "I've come to realize that for 90 per cent of our clients a bad decision was made for them when they were a child or before they were born. They were born with fetal alcohol syndrome, born into abusive homes or born with parents who have mental illness or drug problems."

Read more about the story of this one volunteer - here.

A Multiple-Level, Comprehensive Approach to the Prevention of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) and Other Alcohol-Related Birth Defects (ARBD)

2009-12-28T09:32:00.000-08:00

A Multiple-Level, Comprehensive Approach to the Prevention of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) and Other Alcohol-Related Birth Defects (ARBD)

Philip A. May‌

The Center on Alcoholism, Substance Abuse, and Addictions (CASAA), University of New Mexico, 2350 Alamo SE, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87106

A comprehensive program for the prevention of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and alcohol-related birth defects (ARBD) must consider multiple approaches and utilize knowledge from a variety of academic disciplines. Issues related to culture, society, behavior, belief systems, and medicine must all be considered for both etiology and solutions. A broad paradigm such as a public health model integrates various elements of approach. Because FAS and other levels of ARBD form a spectrum, from severe to negligible damage, a variety of drinking patterns with various characteristics and etiologies have to be addressed. This paper describes a multiple-level, comprehensive program with primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention components. Practical recommendations are proposed for addressing ARBD in a variety of arenas. While secondary and tertiary prevention hold promise for shortterm reduction of FAS and ARBD prevalence, comprehensive prevention serves both short- and long-term effects. Multiple level prevention efforts are well served by clear and compelling vision and mission statements, and require careful evaluation.

The truth is sometimes a poor competitor in the marketplace of ideas—complicated, unsatisfying, full of dilemmas, and always vulnerable to misinterpretation and abuse.

George F. Kennan, 1951 (Quoted in Carruth and Ehrlich, 1988)

PDF (2981 KB) | PDF Plus (1166 KB)

Example of some of the Cost of FASD

2009-12-28T09:21:00.000-08:00

Cost cost cost.

Everyone talks about the cost from groceries to health care. We want to talk about the additional cost in the criminal justice system for people with FASD.

Again FASD is 100% prevented so all of the case managers, attorneys, doctors, social workers, etc would not be needed for those clients if we rally together and say "NineZero - Nine months, Zero alcohol."

Here is a brief example of the cost of FASD in Manitoba.

Source: Manitoba Justice

MYC facts and figures

- Rated capacity of 150

- 156 inmates as of Friday morning

- Inmates are divided into 10 cottages, which are staffed 24-7

- Average length of stay for a remanded male inmate is 45 days

- Average length of stay for a remanded female inmate is 27 days

- Average cost of three meals per day, per inmate, is $7.70

- 158 full-time employees

- 92 part-time employees

- Registered nurses provide 24-hour care

When most wayward youths are accused of breaking the law and are held until they apply for bail, or are sentenced, they walk through these doors.

For a few days or months at a time -- and sometimes more than once -- this is a home away from home for dozens of bad boys and girls, but it's anything but sweet.

Mostly cut off from the outside world, Manitoba Youth Centre inmates follow a structured routine far from the lifestyle most lead outside the facility's walls....

MENTAL ISSUES

Of course, some don't learn and repeatedly wind up in this dour-looking building in Tuxedo until they become an adult. Many are from low-income families. Some may live in a single-parent or foster home, skip school daily, stay out until all hours of the night, or get one or no meals a day.

On the flip side, some are from stable, loving families.

Then there's challenging mental health or behavioral issues such as fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.

Inmates are evaluated and assigned a case manager. They're flowed into a variety of programs, from anger management and life skills to gang intervention and relationship skills....

Fact

2009-12-28T08:59:00.000-08:00

Fact: Alcohol is the number 1 cause of mental retardation in the United States.

10,430 babies are born a day in the US.

3 are born with Muscular Dystrophy,

4 with HIV,

8 with Spina Bifida,

10 with Downsyndrome,

20 with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome,

100 with Fetal Alcohol Effects (ARND and ARBD)

8th Grade

2009-12-28T08:49:00.000-08:00

Alcohol abuse not only effects the life of that individual but the lives of generations to come.

Lets be about the first right of all humanity - being born without Fetal Alcohol.

March of Dimes resource

2009-12-22T14:24:00.000-08:00

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Tutor CD-ROM

Click to preview

This comprehensive tool helps health professionals screen and diagnose children with fetal alcohol syndrome. The Tutor uses descriptive text video clips, animations and illustrations to assist users. Available while supplies last.