Socio-emotional development of children with foetal alcohol spectrum disorders in long-term foster family care: a qualitative study

Abstract

The study investigated the socio-emotional development of children with FASD (n = 34) in long-term foster family care based on foster parents’ descriptions of the child. Children taken into care at birth (n = 7) were compared with children, who had lived the first years of life with their biological parents (n = 27). Children in the second group had faced more traumatic experiences, had more placements and were placed at older age into long-term foster family care. They were reported to have more socio-emotional problems and to be more difficult to foster. In both groups, children had somatic and neuropsychological disabilities caused by prenatal alcohol exposure but in the second group neuropsychological problems, especially concentration and hyperactivity problems, seemed to be more severe. Children who had lived with their biological parents were also reported to have multiple and serious behavioural and attachment problems, and developmental delays at the beginning and during the placement. These problems proved difficult to overcome, even though family care improved the socio-emotional development of all children in the study. In some cases, meetings with biological parents after the placement caused fear and insecurity for the children and increased their behavioural problems. Conclusion: Traumatic experiences in the first years of life during the rapid development of the central nervous system form a major risk for the later development of children with FASD.

Keywords:

• foetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD)
• alcohol exposure
• caregiving environment
• children
• socio-emotional development
• foster family care

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the participants in this study for their cooperation.

Funding

This work was supported by the Academy of Finland (grant no. 203315); the Slot Machine Association; and the Finnish Foundation for Alcohol Studies.