Reviewed by: Mary L. Gavin, MD. Larger text size Large text size Regular text size. What Is Fetal Alcohol Syndrome? They also can have: Poor growth. Newborns may have low birth weights and small heads.
They may not grow or gain weight as well as other children. Birth defects. FAS can cause heart, bone, and kidney problems. Vision problems and hearing loss are common. Seizures and other neurologic problems , such as learning disabilities, and poor balance and coordination. Delayed development. Kids may not reach milestones at the expected time.
Behavioral problems. That includes the earliest stages, before you even know you are pregnant. Drinking during pregnancy can cause a group of conditions called fetal alcohol spectrum disorders FASDs. Children who are born with FASD can have a mix of problems, such as medical, behavioral, educational, and social problems.
The kinds of problems they have depend on which type of FASD they have. The problems could include. People with fetal alcohol syndrome have facial abnormalities, including wide-set and narrow eyes, growth problems and nervous system abnormalities.
Diagnosing FASD can be hard because there is no specific test for it. The health care provider will make a diagnosis by looking at the child's signs and symptoms and asking whether the mother drank alcohol during pregnancy. FASDs last a lifetime. There is no cure for FASDs, but treatments can help.
These include medicines to help with some symptoms, medical care for health problems, behavior and education therapy, and parent training. A good treatment plan is specific to the child's problems. It should include close monitoring, follow-ups, and changes when needed. These disorders can be mild or severe and can cause physical and mental birth defects. Types of FASDs include:.
FAS is a severe form of the condition. People with FAS may have problems with their vision, hearing, memory, attention span, and abilities to learn and communicate. While the defects vary from one person to another, the damage is often permanent.
When a pregnant woman drinks alcohol, some of that alcohol easily passes across the placenta to the fetus. Damage can be done in the first few weeks of pregnancy when a woman might not yet know that she is pregnant.
The risk increases if the mother is a heavy drinker. According to many studies, alcohol use appears to be most harmful during the first three months of pregnancy. However, consumption of alcohol any time during pregnancy can be harmful, according to guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Since fetal alcohol syndrome covers a wide range of problems, there are many possible symptoms. The severity of these symptoms ranges from mild to severe, and can include:. The earlier the diagnosis, the better the outcome. Talk to your doctor if you think your child might have FAS. Let your doctor know if you drank while you were pregnant. A physical exam of the baby may show a heart murmur or other heart problems.
As the baby matures, there may be other signs that help confirm the diagnosis. These include:. To diagnose someone with FAS, the doctor must determine that they have abnormal facial features, slower than normal growth, and central nervous system problems.
These nervous system problems could be physical or behavioral. They might present as hyperactivity, lack of coordination or focus, or learning disabilities. While FAS is incurable, there are treatments for some symptoms.
The earlier the diagnosis, the more progress can be made. Depending on the symptoms a child with FAS exhibits, they may need many doctor or specialist visits.
Special education and social services can help very young children. For example, speech therapists can work with toddlers to help them learn to talk. Children with FAS will benefit from a stable and loving home. They can be even more sensitive to disruptions in routine than an average child.
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