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Analysis of institutional authors

Colom JCorresponding AuthorAndreu-Fernández VAuthorGarcía-Algar OAuthor

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February 14, 2021
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Article

Prevalence of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) among children adopted from eastern European countries: Russia and Ukraine

Publicated to: International Journal Of Environmental Research And Public Health. 18 (4): 1388-12 - 2021-02-01 18(4), DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18041388

Authors: Colom, J; Segura-García, L; Bastons-Compta, A; Astals, M; Andreu-Fernandez, V; Barcons, N; Vidal, R; Ibar, AI; Fumadó, V; Gómez, N; Russiñol, A; Garcia-Algar, O

Affiliations

Agencia de Salut Publica de Barcelona - Author
BCNatal, Hosp Clin Maternitat, IDIBAPS, Neonatol Unit,ICGON, Barcelona 08028, Spain - Author
Biomed Network Res Ctr Mental Hlth CIBERSAM, Madrid 28029, Spain - Author
Catalan Inst Fostering & Adopt, Dept Labour Social Affairs & Families, Barcelona 08001, Spain - Author
Center for Biomedical Research in the Mental Health Network (CIBERSAM) - Author
Generalitat Catalunya, Dept Hlth, Publ Hlth Agcy Catalonia, Program Subst Abuse, Barcelona 08005, Spain - Author
Hosp St Joan Deu, Pediat Serv, Barcelona 08950, Spain - Author
Hospital Clinic Barcelona - Author
Hospital Sant Joan de Déu - Author
Inst Salud Carlos III ISCIII, Maternal & Child Hlth & Dev Network Red SAMID, Madrid 28029, Spain - Author
Instituto de Salud Carlos III - Author
Univ Autonoma Barcelona, Dept Psychiat & Legal Med, Barcelona 08193, Spain - Author
Univ Barcelona, Dept Cirurgia & Especialitats Med Quirurg, Barcelona 08036, Spain - Author
Universidad Internacional de Valencia - Author
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona - Author
Universitat de Barcelona - Author
Valencian Int Univ VIU, Dept Nutr & Hlth, Valencia 46002, Spain - Author
Vall d'Hebron Institut de Recerca - Author
Vall dHebron Res Inst VHIR, Grp Psychiat Mental Hlth & Addict, Hosp Univ Vall dHebron, Psychiat Serv, Barcelona 08035, Spain - Author
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Abstract

© 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is a leading cause of neurodevelopmental disor-ders. Children adopted internationally from countries where alcohol consumption during pregnancy is very high are at greater risk for FASD. Lack of expertise in diagnosing FASD and mixed neurodevelopmental and behavioral signs due to abandonment complicate a timely diagnosis. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of FASD in adopted children. Children between the ages of 8 and 24 adopted from Russia and Ukraine were evaluated for clinical and historical features of FASD. Of the 162 children evaluated, 81 (50%) met FASD diagnostic criteria. Thirty-three (20.4%) children had fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), 28 (17.2%) had partial FAS, 2 (1.2%) had alcohol-related birth defects (ARBD) and 18 (11.1%) had alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder (ARND). Of the 81 children in which fetal alcohol exposure could not be confirmed, many had manifestations that would have established a diagnosis of FASD if a history of maternal alcohol consumption was confirmed. In a population of children with a high risk of prenatal alcohol exposure (adoptees from Eastern European countries), at least 50% showed manifestations associated with FASD. The reported prevalence in this study is in line with the results obtained in a previous study as well as in orphanages of origin.

Keywords

adopted childrenalcoholalcohol-exposed pregnanciescognitive disorderfetal alcohol spectrum disorders (fasd)neurodevelopment impairmentAdopted childrenAlcoholAlcohol-exposed pregnanciesCognitive disorderFetal alcohol spectrum disorders (fasd)Neuro-development impairmentNeurodevelopment impairmentPrenatal exposure to alcohol (pea)

Quality index

Bibliometric impact. Analysis of the contribution and dissemination channel

The work has been published in the journal International Journal Of Environmental Research And Public Health due to its progression and the good impact it has achieved in recent years, according to the agency WoS (JCR), it has become a reference in its field. In the year of publication of the work, 2021, it was in position 45/182, thus managing to position itself as a Q1 (Primer Cuartil), in the category Public, Environmental & Occupational Health.

From a relative perspective, and based on the normalized impact indicator calculated from World Citations provided by WoS (ESI, Clarivate), it yields a value for the citation normalization relative to the expected citation rate of: 1.41. This indicates that, compared to works in the same discipline and in the same year of publication, it ranks as a work cited above average. (source consulted: ESI Nov 13, 2025)

Specifically, and according to different indexing agencies, this work has accumulated citations as of 2025-12-15, the following number of citations:

  • WoS: 17
  • Scopus: 8
  • Europe PMC: 3

Impact and social visibility

From the perspective of influence or social adoption, and based on metrics associated with mentions and interactions provided by agencies specializing in calculating the so-called "Alternative or Social Metrics," we can highlight as of 2025-12-15:

  • The use, from an academic perspective evidenced by the Altmetric agency indicator referring to aggregations made by the personal bibliographic manager Mendeley, gives us a total of: 103.
  • The use of this contribution in bookmarks, code forks, additions to favorite lists for recurrent reading, as well as general views, indicates that someone is using the publication as a basis for their current work. This may be a notable indicator of future more formal and academic citations. This claim is supported by the result of the "Capture" indicator, which yields a total of: 104 (PlumX).

With a more dissemination-oriented intent and targeting more general audiences, we can observe other more global scores such as:

  • The Total Score from Altmetric: 124.
  • The number of mentions on the social network X (formerly Twitter): 19 (Altmetric).
  • The number of mentions on Wikipedia: 1 (Altmetric).
  • The number of mentions in news outlets: 13 (Altmetric).

It is essential to present evidence supporting full alignment with institutional principles and guidelines on Open Science and the Conservation and Dissemination of Intellectual Heritage. A clear example of this is:

  • The work has been submitted to a journal whose editorial policy allows open Open Access publication.

Leadership analysis of institutional authors

There is a significant leadership presence as some of the institution’s authors appear as the first or last signer, detailed as follows: First Author (Bladé Creixenti, Joan) and Last Author (García Algar, Oscar).

the author responsible for correspondence tasks has been Bladé Creixenti, Joan.