Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) By Amanda Sponseller

What it is? Condition that results from prenatal alcohol exposure Defects are irreversible and vary from child to child As many as 40,000 babies are born every year with some kind of alcohol-related damage in the US Affects 1-2 out of every 1,000 births in the US

What it is?-Con’t. Is not a single birth defect, it is a cluster of related problems Most severe consequence that results from prenatal alcohol exposure One of the few known preventable causes of mental retardation

Signs of FAS Distinctive facial features such as small eyes, thin upper lip, a short, upturned nose, and a smooth skin surface between the nose and upper lip, and “railroad track” ears “Hockey stick” palm crease Problems with daily living Heart defects Low birth weight Sleep and sucking problems in infancy Deformities of joints, limbs, and fingers Slow physical growth before and after birth

Signs-Con’t. Vision difficulties or hearing problems Small head circumference and brain size Mental retardation and delayed development Abnormal behavior (short attention span, hyperactivity, extreme nervousness, and anxiety) Most extreme is death

Features of FAS Characteristics of FAS

Features of FAS Railroad track ear “Hockey Stick” palm crease

Features of FAS Thin upper lip and smooth skin surface between nose and upper lip

Other Terms of FAS Fetal alcohol effects (FAE)-describes behavior and cognitive problems in children who were prenatally exposed to alcohol but do not have all the typical features of FAS Alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder (ARND)-refers to the mental and behavior impairments that occur as a result of fetal exposure to alcohol (ex. memory, attention, poor school performance, poor judgment)

Other terms of FAS-Con’t. Alcohol-related birth defects (ARBD)-refers to the physical defects that occur from fetal alcohol exposure (ex. heart, kidney, bones, and/or hearing)

Causes When drinking alcohol, it enters the bloodstream and reaches the developing fetus by crossing the placenta The presence of alcohol can impair optical nutrition for the baby’s developing tissues and organs and can damage brain cells First trimester alcohol intake-impairment of facial features, heart and other organs, bones, and the central nervous system Age of mother, timing & regularity of alcohol ingestion, and if the mother has eaten any food while drinking

When to seek medical help? If you drank before realizing that you are pregnant Drinking while pregnant Early diagnosis reduces risk of long-term problems for children with FAS

Screening & Diagnosis Cannot diagnose FAS before birth Can assess the health of mother and baby during pregnancy Doctors can assess child’s health in days, months, and years to come for FAS after birth Doctors rely on growth impairment, facial malformations, and the presence of heart defects to diagnose FAS Doctors also use IQ and language tests to diagnose After diagnosing one child, it is important to evaluate other siblings for FAS

Treatment No cure for FAS All defects (mental & physical) last for a lifetime Heart problems may require surgery Learning problems may be helped by special services offered at school Parents benefit from counseling to help the family with the child’s behavior problems

Prevention Completely preventable if no alcohol is present Stop drinking altogether if planning to become pregnant Continue to avoid alcohol throughout pregnancy Consider giving up alcohol during childbearing years (18-44) Get help first if you have an alcohol problem

Helpful suggestions for parents of FAS children Implement daily routines to which a child can become accustomed to Create and enforce simple rules and limits Use rewards to reinforce acceptable behavior Teach your child skills for daily living

History Maternal alcoholism and birth defects were initially treated as a new observation Effects of alcohol on the developing fetus had been known for centuries One of the earliest reference to this syndrome was found in ancient Greek & Roman beliefs FAS was not documented in medical literature until 1968

Miscellaneous February 2005-US Surgeon General issued an advisory on alcohol use in pregnancy to raise public awareness about this health concern Overall rate of any alcohol use (at least 1 drink) among pregnant women has declined since 1995 Frequent & binge drinking continues to occur About 130,000 pregnant women per year in the US consume alcohol at levels shown to increase the risk of having a baby with FAS or other prenatal alcohol-related conditions

International FAS Awareness Day September 9th-the ninth day of the ninth month of the year It symbolizes the nine months of pregnancy that a woman should avoid alcohol Spread the word about the importance of having a healthy, alcohol-free pregnancy with family and friends!

Bibliography Calhoun, F., & Warren, K. (2007). Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: Historical perspectives. ScienceDirect, 31, 168-171. Magnusson, A., Goransson, M., & Helig, M. (2007). Hazardous alcohol users during pregnancy: Psychiatric health and personality traits. ScienceDirect, 89, 275-281. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. (2006, May 2). Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved Oct. 10, 2007, from http://www.cdc.gov Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. (2007, July). Kidshealth. Retrieved Oct. 10, 2007, from http://www.kidshealth.org Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. (2007, May 23). Mayoclinic. Retrieved Oct. 10, 2007, from http://www.mayoclinic.com