Table of Contents
What is a typical characteristic of fetal alcohol syndrome?
Distinctive facial features, including small eyes, an exceptionally thin upper lip, a short, upturned nose, and a smooth skin surface between the nose and upper lip. Deformities of joints, limbs and fingers. Slow physical growth before and after birth.
Why is it important to know about fetal alcohol syndrome?
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.
What are four effects of fetal alcohol syndrome?
The effects of FAS include mental retardation, malformations of the skeletal system and major organ systems (specifically the heart and brain), inhibited growth, central nervous system complications, poor motor skills, mortality, and difficulty with learning, memory, social interaction, attention span, problem solving.
Who is most at risk for fetal alcohol syndrome?
Women who drink heavily, especially during the first trimester of pregnancy, tend to have the most severely affected children. The manifestations of FASD are wide ranging.
Does fetal alcohol syndrome cause behavioral problems?
In addition to intellectual disability, individuals with FAS, ARND and ARBD may have other neurological deficits such as poor motor skills and hand-eye coordination. They may also have a complex pattern of behavioral and learning problems, including difficulties with memory, attention and judgment.
How does fetal alcohol syndrome happen?
FASDs happen when a mother drinks alcohol during pregnancy. Like other drugs, alcohol can pass from the mother’s blood through the placenta to the baby. Alcohol is broken down more slowly in the baby than in an adult. Alcohol levels can stay high in the baby’s body.
What is the life expectancy of someone with fetal alcohol syndrome?
Depending on early diagnosis and support, life expectancies can increase; however, on average, people with FAS are estimated to live 34 years (95% CI: 31–37 years), which is around 42% of the life expectancies of their general population peers23.
Can one drink cause fetal alcohol syndrome?
Can a father’s use of alcohol lead to FASDs? No, a father’s use of alcohol cannot lead to FASDs. FASDs can only happen when a pregnant woman consumes alcohol. However, it is important for the father of the baby or the supportive partner to encourage the pregnant woman to abstain from alcohol throughout the pregnancy.
How many babies are affected by fetal alcohol syndrome?
In the United States: Prevalence of FAS is estimated to be between 0.5 and 2 per 1,000 births. Prevalence of FAS, ARND, and ARBD combined is at least 10 per 1,000, or 1 percent of all births. Based on the above rates of FAS, ARBD, and ARND, FAS affects at least 40,000 newborns each year.
What are three symptoms that might occur in a baby born with fetal alcohol syndrome?
Signs and Symptoms
- Low body weight.
- Poor coordination.
- Hyperactive behavior.
- Difficulty with attention.
- Poor memory.
- Difficulty in school (especially with math)
- Learning disabilities.
- Speech and language delays.
Can you live a full life with FASD?
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