Fetal alcohol syndrome Diagnosis and treatment

However, the only way to prevent FAS is to avoid drinking beverages containing alcohol during pregnancy. One person might have only a few, while another person could experience all of them. An individual with FAS may have noticeable changes to their face and limbs, as well as delays in the way their body develops over time. There can also be drunken baby syndrome mental and emotional challenges throughout the person’s life that can impact their social life, education and work. FASDs are a group of medical conditions that occur due to alcohol exposure during pregnancy. Alcohol can affect developing fetuses in a variety of ways, and the symptoms a person has determine which type of FASD diagnosis they receive.

• The alcohol affects the development of the fetus, potentially causing lifelong effects.
• Many features of FASD, such as problems with attention and coordination, do not appear until later in life.
• Adolescents exposed prenatally to cocaine, alcohol, or cigarettes showed reductions in total brain volume and in gray matter in the brain’s cerebral cortex, important in many cognitive functions.
• There is no cure for FASDs, but treatments can help manage symptoms.
• Each type includes different physical or developmental characteristics on the spectrum.
• Don’t wait for your child to have issues before seeking help.

What is the outlook of a child with fetal alcohol syndrome?

Even a small amount of alcohol can have adverse effects on a growing fetus. Alcohol seems most damaging in the first trimester (three months) of pregnancy but can affect the fetus at any time during the pregnancy. Alcohol use in pregnancy has significant effects on the fetus and the baby. Dependence and addiction to alcohol in the mother also cause the fetus to become addicted. But since the alcohol is no longer available, the baby’s central nervous system becomes over stimulated, causing symptoms of withdrawal.

What are the causes of fetal alcohol syndrome?

• Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders are caused by a baby’s exposure to alcohol during pregnancy.
• One reason alcohol is dangerous during pregnancy is that it’s passed through your bloodstream to the fetus through the umbilical cord.
• Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can cause the child to have disabilities related to behavior, learning and thinking, and physical development.
• However, the exact way alcohol disrupts fetal development is complex and not fully understood.
• Children with FASD are nutritionally and socially vulnerable and may benefit from nutritional education and support.

While the defects vary from one person to another, the damage is often permanent. Treatment focuses on controlling the symptoms of the condition. Treatment strategies for FAS include nonpharmacologic and pharmacologic interventions. One study found life expectancy is significantly reduced compared to people without FAS (most often due to external causes such as suicide, accidents, or overdose of alcohol or drugs). Physical symptoms such as growth impairment remain unchanged during adulthood, with persistent shorter stature. Brain maturation can become prolonged, and aging can accelerate.

• The only way to prevent FAS is to avoid consuming any amount of alcohol during pregnancy, including when a person is trying to become pregnant.
• In 2019, CDC researchers found that 1 in 9 pregnant people drank alcohol in a 30-day period of time.
• Alcohol use in pregnancy has significant effects on the fetus and the baby.
• As such, there is no known safe amount of alcohol people can drink during pregnancy or while trying to get pregnant.
• These domains should be measured using standardized testing, which often cannot be administered until after three years of age.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) Research & Clinical Trials

Visit the NIAAA Alcohol Treatment Navigator® to learn more about evidence-based treatments for alcohol-related problems. 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 spectrum disorders are caused by a baby’s exposure to alcohol during pregnancy.

Alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder (ARND)

This article will discuss the symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of FAS in children and adults. The most effective treatments for fetal alcohol syndrome target your child’s specific issues. There are no medications to treat fetal alcohol syndrome specifically.

• People with FASDs can have lifelong effects, including problems with behavior and learning as well as physical problems.
• A doctor may also look at physical health and signs of FAS, such as smaller-than-expected head size and height and abnormalities in facial features.
• A syndrome is a group of symptoms that happen together as the result of a particular disease or abnormal condition.

Preventing and treating disabilities

Another study from 1996 suggested that infants who had alcohol exposure before birth had a low pitch to their cries in their first 2 days of life but then higher pitched cries after 2 and 4 weeks. Babies with fetal alcohol syndrome do not appear to cry in a specific way. They can be irritable or jittery, but the most noticeable sign of the condition will be the shape of the baby’s face. Stopping alcohol consumption as early as possible can help reduce the chance of FASDs. Ideally, people who are trying to get pregnant should not drink at all, as this is the only way to prevent these conditions.