Manitoba study says moms of FASD kids have higher risk of suicide

WINNIPEG — A study by researchers at the University of Manitoba has linked giving birth to children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder to an increased risk of suicide attempts and deaths.

Principal investigator Deepa Singal, a PhD candidate at the University of Manitoba, says the social and health challenges faced by mothers of children with FASD place them at increased risk for suicide.

The study, published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, analyzed anonymous health data from the university’s Manitoba Centre for Health Policy.

It compared health information of about 700 mothers of children with FASD to 2,100 mothers of children without an FASD diagnosis.