FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME

DEFINITION:
Fetal alcohol syndrome is a condition in a child that results from alcohol exposure
during the mother's pregnancy. Fetal alcohol syndrome causes brain damage and growth
problems. The problems caused by fetal alcohol syndrome vary from child to child, but
defects caused by fetal alcohol syndrome are not reversible.
HISTORY:
The term Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) was first published in a 1973 article in the
British medical journal The Lancet. In that article, a group of pediatricians and psychiatrists
at the University of Washington Medical School helped to define the morphological defects
and developmental delays that can affect children born to alcoholic mothers. Those
observations include pre- and post-natal growth deficiencies, minor facial abnormalities,
and damage to the developing brain that can result in behavioral, learning, and cognitive
abnormalities.
David W. Smith and Kenneth L. Jones, pediatricians that specialized in
dysmorphology at the University of Washington’s medical school. Dysmorphology is the
study of congenital abnormalities that arise during development. The creation of March of
Dimes and other organizations that brought problems of birth defects into the public
sphere fueled the burgeoning field of dysmophology in the early 1970s. At that time, Smith
was a professor of pediatrics and an influence in the growing field of researching birth
defects. Jones was completing his residency in dysmorphology under Smith.
Five months later, Jones and Smith published a second article in The Lancet,
“Recognition of the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome in Early Infancy”. In that article the authors
presented a historical survey of anecdotal associations between prenatal alcohol abuse and
the effects of FAS. The authors presented an additional three case studies of children
affected by FAS in the article. That article was also the first to introduce a survey of the
gross morphological defects affecting the central nervous system.
SIGNS ANG SYMPTOMS:
 a small head
 a smooth ridge between the upper lip and nose, small and wide-set eyes, a very
thin upper lip, or other abnormal facial features
 below average height and weight
 hyperactivity
 lack of focus
 delayed development and problems in thinking, speech, movement, and social skills
 poor judgment
 problems seeing or hearing
 learning disabilities
 intellectual disability
 heart problems
 kidney defects and abnormalities
 deformed limbs or fingers
 mood swings
TREATMENT and DIAGNOSIS:
There is no lab test that can prove a child has FAS. Many of its symptoms can seem
like ADHD.
To diagnose FAS, doctors look for unusual facial features, lower-than-average height
and/or weight, small head size, problems with attention and hyperactivity, and poor
coordination. They also try to find out whether the mother drank while she was
pregnant and if so, how much.
The symptoms of FAS can't be cured, but early diagnosis and treatment can improve a
child’s development and outlook. Research shows that children do better when they:

 Are diagnosed before age 6

 Are in a loving, nurturing, and stable home during their school years
 Are not exposed to violence
 Get special education and social services

Therapy can help with behavior and educational problems. Parents can also get training to
help their child.
Medicines can help manage symptoms like hyperactivity, inability to focus, or anxiety. A child
with fetal alcohol syndrome needs to be watched closely to see if their treatment needs to be
adjusted.

MANAGEMENT:

The effects of FAS last a lifetime. However, early treatment can improve a child’s
development. Treatment options include:
 Medications to treat some symptoms.
 Behavior and education therapy.
 Parental training.
There are also certain “protective factors” that help reduce the negative impact of FAS on
a child:
 Diagnosis before the age of 6.
 A loving, supportive, stable home environment during the school years.
 Absence of violence in the child’s life.
 Use of special education and social services.