Everyday memory difficulties in children and adolescents with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder

ABSTRACT

Purpose: To investigate whether significant differences exist in everyday memory between youth with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum (FASD) compared with a nonexposed (NE) control group, while controlling for socioeconomic status and other comorbidities.

Methods: Caregiver ratings using the Everyday Memory Questionnaire were obtained for 105 youth (9–17 years of age). Scores were compared between youth with a FASD diagnosis (N = 41; 56% male) and the NE group (N = 64; 53% male) using multivariate analysis of variance.

Results: Significantly poorer scores were found across all domains of everyday memory in youth with FASD (p<0.01 for all comparisons). Findings maintained significance after controlling for group differences in socioeconomic status, presence of learning, and attention disorders, as well as exposure to other teratogens.

Conclusions: This study provides important insights regarding the memory issues that underlie daily functional challenges faced by youth with FASD and the need for future intervention research.

Keywords:

• Memory
• Pediatric psychology
• Social pediatrics
• Pregnancy
• Fetal alcohol syndrome
• Alcoholism

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to give thanks to Dr Erin Sheard, Donna Sorbara, Ellen Fantus and Irena Nulman, as well as the many parents/caregivers and their children for their participation in this study.

Disclosure of interest

The authors report no conflict of interest.

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Canadian Institutes for Health Research [grant numbers NET-54014, 200810MOP-203919]; Dr. Jennifer Ryan; an Ontario Graduate Scholarship and; a University of Toronto fellowship. Dr. Jennifer Ryan is supported by the Canada Research Chairs Program.