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Moderate Prenatal Alcohol Exposure and Quantification of Social Behavior in Adult Rats
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Published on: December 14, 2014

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Latent classes of neurodevelopmental profiles and needs in children and adolescents with prenatal alcohol exposure

Kaitlyn McLachlan1, Meenu Minhas2, Chantel Ritter1

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.

Alcohol, Clinical & Experimental Research
|February 17, 2023
PubMed

Insights

This study identified four distinct subgroups of children with prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), revealing varied neurodevelopmental needs to guide personalized interventions.

Area of Science:

  • Neurodevelopmental Disorders
  • Clinical Psychology
  • Pediatric Health

Background:

  • Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder from prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE).
  • Heterogeneity in FASD complicates accurate assessment, diagnosis, and intervention.
  • Identifying distinct subgroups is crucial for tailored support.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify classes of children and adolescents with PAE based on neurodevelopmental functioning patterns.
  • To characterize these subgroups using latent class analysis (LCA).
  • To inform clinical services and personalized treatment approaches for FASD.

Main Methods:

  • Latent class analysis (LCA) was used to identify neurodevelopmental functioning patterns.
  • Data from 1440 children and adolescents (ages 6-17) with confirmed PAE were analyzed.
  • The Canadian National FASD Database provided retrospective cross-sectional cohort data (2016-2020).

Main Results:

  • An optimal four-class solution was identified: Global needs, Regulation needs, Cognitive needs, and Attention needs.
  • The Global and Regulation needs groups showed the highest probabilities of clinical needs.
  • Subgroups exhibited distinguishable patterns of neurodevelopmental impairment, ranging from severe to relatively low.

Conclusions:

  • Four distinct subgroups of children with PAE assessed for FASD were identified in Canada.
  • Findings can guide clinicians in identifying specific service pathways for subgroups.
  • Personalized treatment approaches may improve outcomes for children with FASD.
Abstract

Keywords:
fetal alcohol spectrum disorderlatent class analysisprenatal alcohol exposure

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