youssif@bigpond.net.au
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome FAS and Fetal Alcohol Effects
General
Alcohol consumption during pregnancy can cause several birth defects. The spectrum of alcohol-related diagnoses includes:
- Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS)
- Fetal Alcohol Effects (FAE)
- PFAS (Partial Fetal Alcohol Syndrome)
- ARND (Alcohol Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder)
- ARBD (Alcohol Related Birth Defects)
All of these birth defects are entirely preventable.
Birth defects can happen to anyone, regardless of age, race or socioeconomic status.
1) Characteristic facial features
- Flattened midface
- Thin upper lip
- Indistinct/absent philtrum
- Short eye slits
2) Growth retardation
- Lower birth weight
- Disproportional weight not due to nutrition, height
- Weight below the 5th percentile
3) Central Nervous System Abnormalities "neurodevelopmental"
- Impaired fine motor skills,
- Learning disabilities,
- Behaviour disorders
- Mental handicap (found in 50% of FAS)
- To diagnose PFAS, only two of the three above criteria must be present and must include some facial features and brain differences.
- To diagnose ARND, only one of the above three criteria must be present and must be a brain difference.
- These fetal alcohol effects are often thought to be less damaging than the "full-blown" syndrome, however, they are often more debilitating to the person's quality of life.
- Fetal Alcohol Syndrome/Fetal Alcohol Effects are PERMANENT and cannot be outgrown.
FAS/FAE babies and young children may have other specific distinguishable features:
- Short stature
- Small and thin
- Hearing defects
- Organ imperfections
- Bone problems
- Difficulty with eating
- Difficulty developing a regular sleeping schedule
- Difficulty learning how to walk
- Difficulty learning toilet training
- Impulsivity (i.e. running out into the street)
- Hyperactivity
FAS/FAE children have learning disabilities, which include
- Difficulties in learning language and language use
- Difficulties in generalizing information
- Difficulties in mastering new or recently learned skills
- Difficulties in recent memory (ie. yesterday events)
- Difficulties inpredicting outcomes or cause and effect
- Difficulties indistinguishing fact from fantasy
- Difficulties in distinguishing friends from strangers
- Donot learn from experience as they
- Do not understand cause and effect
FAS/FAE adults continue to have the same learning difficulties they had as youth, and also often have difficulty with:
- Legal system (do not understand cause and effect)
- Controlling alcohol consumption
- Maintaining custody of their children
- Mental health issues
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