Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Symptoms, Causes and Treatment

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders is an umbrella term used to describe the range of preventable intellectual/neurodevelopmental disabilities and birth defects that result from prenatal alcohol exposure. Evaluation for an FASD includes a history of prenatal alcohol exposure, neurocognitive/behavioral functioning, dysmorphic features , and growth parameters .

• In 2019, CDC researchers found that 1 in 9 pregnant people drank alcohol in a 30-day period of time.
• It may affect ~30% (range 20-40%) of pregnancies in mothers with chronic alcohol use 8.
• There is evidence supporting the father before conception can cause FAS through long term epigenetic mutation of the father’s sperm as well during conception.
• Structural impairments may include microcephaly of two or more standard deviations below the average, or other abnormalities in brain structure (e.g., agenesis of the corpus callosum, cerebellar hypoplasia).
• Biomarkers being studied include fatty acid ethyl esters detected in the meconium and hair.
• The behavioral effects of ARND are not necessarily unique to alcohol however, so use of the term must be within the context of confirmed prenatal alcohol exposure.

In summary, when it comes to fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, as is true of most conditions in medicine, the best treatment is prevention. Prenatal alcohol exposure is the leading cause of preventable congenital disabilities. Because the presentation of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders can vary so widely, and because of recent changes to the diagnostic criteria that define these conditions, the exact prevalence is difficult to determine. Across the United States, in the 1980s and 1990s, fetal alcohol syndrome was estimated to occur in the range of 0.5 to 2 cases per 1000 live births. However, it is widely accepted that these studies underreported the problem as the other conditions that comprise fetal alcohol spectrum disorders were not defined at the time and thus not recognized.

Areas Evaluated for FASD Diagnoses

We offer women’s health services, obstetrics and gynecology throughout Northeast Ohio and beyond. Whether patients are referred to us or already have a Cleveland Clinic ob/gyn, we work closely with them to offer treatment recommendations and follow-up care to help you receive the best outcome.

The examination revealed extensive brain damage, including microcephaly, migration anomalies, callosal dysgenesis, and a massive neuroglial, leptomeningeal heterotopia covering the left hemisphere. Receiving treatment as soon as possible in childhood can help decrease the likelihood of developing these secondary effects in life.

Related Institutes & Services

The alcohol fetal syndrome symptoms of FAS are those that arise later in life secondary to CNS damage. These disabilities often emerge over time due to a mismatch between the primary disabilities and environmental expectations; secondary disabilities can be ameliorated with early interventions and appropriate supportive services. Many books and handouts on FAS recommend a developmental approach, based on developmental psychology, even though most do not specify it as such and provide little theoretical background. FAS interferes with normal development, which may cause stages to be delayed, skipped, or immaturely developed. Over time, an unaffected child can negotiate the increasing demands of life by progressing through stages of development normally, but not so for a child with FAS. Evidence of a CNS structural impairment due to prenatal alcohol exposure will result in a diagnosis of FAS, and neurological and functional impairments are highly likely.

FASDs need a medical home to provide, coordinate, and facilitate all the necessary medical, behavioral, social, and educational services. They also include problems with the central nervous system and poor growth. FASD can also cause mental health, behavior, and development problems. Partial fetal alcohol syndrome .This refers to children who have only 2 of the physical aspects of fetal alcohol syndrome.

What Causes Fetal Alcohol Syndrome?

The term FASD is not a clinical diagnosis in the United States. While many syndromes are eponymous, i.e. named after the physician first reporting the association of symptoms, Smith named FAS after the causal agent of the symptoms. He reasoned that doing so would encourage prevention, believing that if people knew maternal alcohol consumption caused the syndrome, then abstinence during pregnancy would follow from patient education and public awareness.

The most severe condition is called fetal alcohol syndrome , which refers to individuals who have a specific set of birth defects and neurodevelopmental disorders characteristic of the diagnosis. Fetal alcohol syndrome and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders in newborns result from exposure to alcohol during pregnancy.

https://ecosoberhouse.com/ is broken down more slowly in the immature body of the fetus than in an adult’s body. This can cause the alcohol levels to remain high and stay in the baby’s body longer. Individuals can be diagnosed with partial FAS if they have some of the diagnostic criteria of FAS without all of the features .