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Alcohol effects on fetus - continuation of research and international partnerships
Lyubov Yevtushok
OMNI-Net Medical Coordinator
During 2005-2006 a pilot research project of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) prenatal ultrasound markers was conducted in Rivne and Kherson oblasts together with San-Diego California University. It should be mentioned that the project covered all the elements of OMNI-Net Ukraine Birth Defects Prevention Program: surveillance, care, early intervention, and prevention initiatives.
Some interesting results were received proving the necessity to continue the research:
- Hull AD, Kfir M, Yevtushok L, Onishchenko S, Sosynyuk Z, Shevchenko S, Zharko L, Drapkina I, Wertelecki W, Bakhireva L, Chambers CD, Jones KL. "Evaluation of ultrasound markers of prenatal alcohol exposure".
- Jones KL et al. "Fetal Ultrasound Measures as Predictors of Alcohol-Related Physical Features in the Newborn: Preliminary Results".
That's why on September 18-21, 2007 a group of managers and leading specialists of the International FASD Consortium visited Rivne (Ukraine):
- Edward P. Riley - behavioral teratologist, head of the administrative core for the consortium, professor, Director of Center for Behavioral Teratology of San Diego State University (California, USA).
- Christina D. Chambers - known specialist in epidemiology and public health, specialist in FAS epidemiology, professor of Medical Center of San Diego State University (California, USA), President of the American Teratology Society. She visited Ukraine more than once to plan FASD epidemiology research.
- Kenneth L. Jones - Head of Dysmorphology and Teratology Chair of Pediatric Department of San Diego State University (California, USA).
- Carl L. Keen - nutrition specialist, Professor and Department of Nutrition Chair of California University (USA). His research involves an assessment of nutritional status, as well as an intervention with multivitamins.
- Claire D. Coles - professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, Director of FAS Center at Marcus Institute of Emory University (Atlanta, USA).
- Julia Cable - psychologist. She is engaged in exploring heart potentials.
Besides, among the international experts group members there was International Coordinator and founder of the OMNI-Net Ukraine Birth Defects Prevention Program, Head of the Department of Medical Genetics of the University of South Alabama (Mobile, US), full foreign member of the Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine, Director of the Ukrainian-American Birth Defects Program (1999-2005), Head of the OMNI-Net Supervisory Board professor Wolodymyr Wertelecki.
Discussing the FASD project realization
The visit schedule included discussion of some aspects of the project realization, conducting practical studies with medical geneticists, neonatologists and psychologists. On September 19, 2007 international team representatives took part at the Round Table "Mother and Child Health Care Initiatives: Strategies and International Partnerships". In addition on September 21, 2007 the guests conducted presentations to medical geneticists (OMNI-Net representatives from Lutsk, Khmelnytsky, Kherson, Simferopol, Vinnytsya, Cherkasy, Ternopil, Uzhhorod), physicians of the Rivne Regional Clinical Diagnostic Center, students of the Rivne Base Medical College.
Dr. Andrew Hull - a specialist in ultrasound diagnosis and maternal and fetal medicine, professor of the Reproductive Medicine Chair of the San-Diego California University (USA) visited Rivne a week earlier (September 10-11, 2007) and conducted practical studies with prenatal specialists and medical geneticists.
Date of report: September 27, 2007
