If you adopted a child or are providing foster care, you may not know if the biological mother drank alcohol while pregnant. International adoption from some countries may have a higher rate of alcohol use by pregnant mothers. If you have concerns about your child’s learning or behavior, talk with your child’s healthcare professional to find out what might be causing these problems. Although there is no treatment for FAS, there are strategies that can improve its symptoms.
Risks of Drinking While Pregnant
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. Fetal alcohol syndrome is a condition in a child that results from alcohol exposure during the mother’s pregnancy. Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can cause the child to have disabilities related to behavior, learning and thinking, and physical development.
General Health
When a child is diagnosed, other children of the mother should be evaluated to determine whether they also have FAS. FAS is a long-term disability that affects children from birth. It occurs when a fetus becomes exposed to alcohol during pregnancy. Early detection and treatment can help children learn vital skills and improve their chances of being able to live independently as adults.
How can you help a child with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome?
No single physical or cognitive finding is pathognomonic; lesser degrees of alcohol use cause less severe manifestations, and the diagnosis of mild cases can be difficult because partial expression occurs. Diagnosing fetal alcohol syndrome involves an exam from a healthcare professional with expertise in the condition. Early diagnosis and services can help improve your child’s ability to function. When a person drinks alcohol during pregnancy, it acts as a toxin and interferes with the normal growth and development of the brain and body of the developing infant.
Is there a cure for fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)?
- The baby doesn’t metabolize (break down) alcohol in the same way an adult does – it stays in the body for a longer period of time.
- Early diagnosis and services can help improve your child’s ability to function.
- FASD is nonhereditary; alcohol causes neuronal damage and cell loss in the fetal brain through direct action as a toxin.
- Using alcohol during pregnancy can cause the same risks as using alcohol in general.
- The symptoms of FASDs may resemble other medical conditions or problems.
An estimated 50–90% of people with FASD are also diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and many other people have secondary mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety. The symptoms of this condition will be with the person throughout their entire life. Over time, a number of secondary effects can happen in people with FAS, particularly in those who aren’t treated for the condition in childhood. These are called secondary effects because they’re not part of FAS itself.
Learning
- When a pregnant woman drinks alcohol, it easily passes across the placenta to the fetus.
- Diagnosis of fetal alcohol syndrome is given to infants with characteristic findings born to women who used alcohol excessively during pregnancy.
- Diagnosing FASDs can be hard because there is no medical test, like a blood test, for these conditions.
- This involves understanding the unique challenges of parenting a child with an FASD and adjusting as necessary.
- There are currently five conditions that make up FASD, including fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS).
Children with fetal alcohol syndrome and their families may benefit from the support of professionals and other families who have experience with this condition. Ask your healthcare professional or a social worker or mental health professional for local sources of support for children with fetal alcohol syndrome and their families. Even in patients who clearly have met diagnostic criteria, referral allows complete assessment for an individualized management plan (Table 34).
Goal of Fetal Alcohol Treatment
Most children will have normal intelligence while others will have mental retardation. Many children have serious problems with attention, impulse control, behavior, judgment, problem-solving, abstract concepts, and memory. As children with FAS mature, they may have difficulty performing in school, keeping jobs, and maintaining healthy relationships.
Treatment
We also discuss how people can prevent FAS and when to see a doctor. The symptoms of FAS may resemble other medical conditions or problems. Most often, FASDs are diagnosed based on the mother’s history and the appearance of the baby, based on a physical examination by a doctor. Many drugs can pass from the mother’s drunken baby syndrome blood stream through the placenta to the fetus. Alcohol is broken down more slowly in the immature body of the fetus than in an adult’s body.
It is a lifelong condition and yet one of the most preventable causes of birth defects and intellectual disability. If you notice any symptoms of FAS, see your child’s doctor as soon as possible to help formulate a treatment plan that may alleviate symptoms. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is a condition that develops in a baby exposed to alcohol before birth. A child with fetal alcohol syndrome may have specific abnormal facial features, small head size, and problems with development including delayed language, learning, and poor impulse control. Children with fetal alcohol syndrome are at high risk for problems such as Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), intellectual disability, learning problems, and emotional issues. Early diagnosis and intervention are important and helpful for children with fetal alcohol syndrome to prevent possible behavioral disorders and help with learning.
- However, alcohol itself may not be directly responsible for all (or any) of the features of FAS.
- If you are pregnant and can’t stop drinking alcohol, ask your obstetrician, primary care doctor or other healthcare professional for help.
- Because early diagnosis may help lessen the risk of some challenges for children with fetal alcohol syndrome, let your child’s healthcare professional know if you drank alcohol while you were pregnant.
- The result of alcohol on a developing fetus can lead to craniofacial differences, growth impairment, neurodevelopmental disabilities, and behavioral issues.
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: Facial to Behavioral Effects
However, with early identification and support, children with FAS can learn important skills that can aid their development. Most often, FAS is diagnosed based on the mother’s history and the appearance of the baby, based on a physical examination by a physician. Long-term problems in children with FASDs may include psychiatric problems, gang and criminal behavior, poor socialization, unemployment, and incomplete education. If you suspect your child may already have an FASD, a doctor can also help you find the support you need for your child’s development and your own well-being. Experts explain that diagnosis may involve a team of doctors and other professionals and may include a neuropsychological exam.
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