FASD Overview
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs) are a group of conditions that can occur in a person whose mother drank alcohol during pregnancy. Effects may include physical abnormalities, behavioral problems, and/or difficulties learning. Often, a person with an FASD has a mixture of these problems.
Cause and Prevention
FASDs are caused by a woman drinking alcohol during pregnancy. There is no known amount of alcohol that is safe to drink while pregnant. There is also no safe time to drink during pregnancy and no safe kind of alcohol to drink while pregnant.
To prevent FASDs, a woman should not drink alcohol while she is pregnant, or when she might become pregnant. In the United States, half of pregnancies are unplanned.
Signs and Symptoms
"FASD" refers to the range of effects that can afflict a person whose mother drank alcohol during pregnancy. These conditions can affect each person in different ways, and can range from mild to severe.
A person with an FASD might have:
•Abnormal facial features, such as a smooth ridge between the nose and upper lip (this ridge is called the philtrum)
•Small head size
•Shorter-than-average height
•Low body weight
•Poor coordination
•Hyperactive behavior
•Difficulty paying attention
•Poor memory
•Difficulty in school (especially with math)
•Learning disabilities
•Speech and language delays
•Intellectual disability or low IQ
•Poor reasoning and judgment skills
•Sleep and sucking problems as a baby
•Vision or hearing problems
•Problems with the heart, kidneys, or bones
Types of FASDs
Different terms are used to describe FASDs, depending on the type of symptoms.
•Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS): While the fetal death is the most extreme outcome from drinking alcohol during pregnant. People with FAS might have abnormal facial features, growth problems, and central nervous system (CNS) problems. People with FAS can have problems with learning, memory, attention span, communication, vision, or hearing. They might have a combination of these problems. People with FAS often have a hard time in school and have trouble getting along with others.
•Alcohol-Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder (ARND): People with ARND might have intellectual disabilities and problems with behavior and learning. They might do poorly in school and have difficulties with math, memory, attention, judgment, and poor impulse control.
•Alcohol-Related Birth Defects (ARBD): People with ARBD might have difficulty hearing or problems with the heart, kidneys, or bones. They might have a combination of these problems.