A study by the Telethon Kids Institute aimed at looking at ways to improve the detection and support of children with what's been labelled an "Invisible Disability" - 'Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder'.
Melbourne based neurosurgeon Dr Sanjay Raghav explained that FAS-D is a disorder , which is caused by drinking during pregnancy. Dr Sanjay says that it is very important to remember that it takes 4-6 weeks to know if some one is pregnant, so if someone had been consuming alcohol before establishing the pregnancy, could be at risk too. His advice is," if you are planning to have kids, stop taking alcohol atleast few months before."
Banksia Hill Detention Centre became Western Australia's only juvenile prison in 2012, after the state government at the time shut the Rangeview juvenile prison. Since then, the centre has faced several riots and highly critical reports which detailed unprecedented levels of self-harm and other problems.
Since 2015, Telethon Kids Institute for its Banksia Hill Project had been researching Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder - or FAS-D - in incarcerated young people.
This neurological disorder can cause severe brain damage leading to cognitive and behavioural problems as well as learning difficulties.
This study is the first of its kind in Australia. The study worked with over 100 children aged between 10 and 17 to assess any neurological damage that may be affecting them. While their aim was to discover if FAS-D was a contributing factor, researchers found something alarming in their results. When the youths were tested across a wide spectrum of neurological development areas - including cognitive behaviour, motor skills and memory - they found 9 out of 10 children were impacted by at least one neurological impairment, with 65% having at least 3 severe impairments.
The study has led to a new set of guidelines for working with the children in the justice system.
The procedures will now look at a large range of possible factors for behaviour, including FAS-D, to help staff better understand the youths they are caring for.
Dr Sanjay Raghav says that when any child gets into any criminal activity, no one would have sympathy for that child but would like a punishment. Now with this study, it helps to understand the root cause of certain disorders and behavioral issues and accordingly a right kind of support can be provided to children who are in corrective centers.
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