Jan 3, 2023
Host, Dr. Catherine Cerulli, a professor of
Psychiatry at the University of Rochester, is joined by
her
guest, Christie McGee Petrenko, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum
Disorder
(FASD)
researcher.
FASD represents a range
of conditions associated
with prenatal alcohol exposure.
Studies have documented that in
the US 2-5% of
the population have
FASD, or
one in 20, and as many as
80-90% of
people go undiagnosed or
misdiagnosed.
This impacts their lives
in challenging ways including
growth delays, learning and behavioral problems, and struggling with
ADHD, anxiety, or depression.
Children involved in the
welfare system have a higher rate of being diagnosed with FASD as
well as
children in mental health care
and justice settings. Dr. Petrenko discusses resources professionals can
utilize to learn about FASD
and ways
to help
patients. She also
discusses an
initiative that uses
the
Extension for Community
Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) approach to create learning
collaborations with
primary care providers
in the community by
engaging with
and training nurses and
pediatricians.
Lastly,
the episode concludes by discussing ways society portrays people with FASD
and what can be done to
increase understanding and inclusiveness to
help improve their lives.