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Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: Causes, Symptoms & Diagnosis

alcohol syndrome features

Alcohol can cause problems for a developing baby throughout pregnancy, including before a woman knows she’s pregnant. All types of alcohol are equally harmful, including all wines and beer. The symptoms of this condition will be with the person throughout their entire life.

alcohol syndrome features

NUTRITIONAL SUPPORT

The variance seen in outcomes of alcohol consumption during pregnancy is poorly understood. Diagnosis is based on an assessment of growth, facial features, central nervous system, and alcohol exposure by a multi-disciplinary team of professionals. The main criteria for diagnosis of FASD is nervous system damage and alcohol exposure, with FAS including congenital malformations of the lips and growth deficiency. The result of alcohol on a developing fetus can lead to craniofacial differences, growth impairment, neurodevelopmental disabilities, and behavioral issues. Research shows that alcohol exposure at specific times during pregnancy can affect the brain in various ways, resulting in a spectrum of brain disorders.

  • A study demonstrated that more than one-half of children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders do not consume the recommended dietary allowance of fiber, calcium, or vitamins D, E, and K.
  • Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs) are a group of conditions that occur when people drink alcohol during pregnancy.
  • The important factors are recognizing that prenatal alcohol exposure may have played a role in an individual’s challenges and that the individual and family receive the needed resources.
  • Any assessment that leads to a diagnosis of an FASD must include a history of prenatal alcohol exposure.
  • Alcohol was not viewed as dangerous for pregnant people until 1973 when the diagnosis of FAS was first implemented.

Preventing and treating disabilities

It may be difficult to diagnose FASDs because there’s no single test to make a diagnosis. Instead, you or a doctor may observe a cluster of symptoms in your child that suggests they have an FASD. The risk of FASDs increases with the amount of alcohol consumed. That said, any amount of alcohol may increase the risk of a baby developing an FASD. Alcohol use in pregnancy has significant effects on the fetus and your baby.

Diagnosis in adults

Not only that, but women may not know they’re pregnant in the first 4 to 6 weeks. The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is a 30-bed referral center for critically ill infants requiring complex medical and surgical care. The Lip Philtrum Guide is used to rank the upper lip thinness and philtrum smoothness. The grades of the lip and philtrum are dependent upon race, age, and population mean.

About Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs)

For example, they may have difficulties with learning, have challenging behaviours, mental health problems, and find it difficult to get a job and live independently as an adult. Primary care physicians celebrities with fetal alcohol syndrome cannot make a firm diagnosis of an FASD. This is because there is some overlap between the symptoms of FASDs and the symptoms of exposure to other types of drugs, such as tobacco or illegal drugs.

alcohol syndrome features

You can share your concerns and ask for a referral to a doctor who specializes in FASDs for further support. The Division of Newborn Medicine specializes in treating babies with a wide range of congenital and acquired conditions. Most often, FAS is diagnosed based on the mother’s history and the appearance of your baby, based on a physician examination by a physician. One study found that up to 60% of adults and adolescents with FASD had experiences with the criminal justice system.

Alternative treatments also include movement techniques, such as exercise or yoga. People with FAS may have problems with their vision, hearing, memory, attention span, and abilities to learn and communicate. While the defects vary from one person to another, the damage is often permanent.

  • These and other effects of FASDs can negatively affect social interactions.
  • FASD may present in childhood or early adulthood with mild social or intellectual concerns, or it can present with birth defects and growth problems during pregnancy.
  • If you’re a woman with a drinking problem who wants to get pregnant, seek help from a doctor.
  • It occurs when a fetus becomes exposed to alcohol during pregnancy.
  • Drinking alcohol late in a pregnancy increases the likelihood of FAS.

How early can you tell if your child has fetal alcohol syndrome?

Some symptoms can be managed with treatment by a healthcare provider, but they won’t go away. This condition can be prevented if you don’t drink any alcohol during pregnancy. It’s possible that even small amounts of alcohol consumed during pregnancy can damage your developing fetus. Symptoms of fetal alcohol syndrome may include any mix of issues with how the body develops; thinking, learning and behavior; and functioning and coping in daily life. FASDs are a range of conditions that occur if a fetus is exposed to alcohol before birth. Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is a form of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD).

Symptoms of FASDs