If your child is diagnosed with an FASD, the diagnosis will be for a specific condition under the umbrella of FASDs, as listed above. It is essential to speak with a doctor as soon as possible if a child shows signs of FAS. Early identification can improve the outcome for children with FAS and raise their quality of life. Some research suggests that a pregnant person’s environment may also play a role. Living in stressful, isolated, or adverse conditions may increase the chance of FAS. Although the authorities have not approved any medications specifically for the treatment of FAS, doctors may use some drugs to treat certain symptoms.
- This condition can be prevented if you don’t drink any alcohol during pregnancy.
- They estimate that around 1 baby in every 1,000 born in the United States may be affected.
- No one particular treatment is correct for everyone with fetal alcohol syndrome.
- Some children with partial fetal alcohol syndromes show only some of the features.
- It can take four to six weeks before you know you’re pregnant.
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome FAQs
A single episode of binge drinking, especially during the first few weeks of pregnancy, can lead to FAS. Having four or more drinks within two hours is considered a single binge-drinking episode for females. Receiving treatment as soon drunken baby syndrome as possible in childhood can help decrease the likelihood of developing these secondary effects in life.
What causes fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)?
Fetal alcohol syndrome isn’t curable, and the symptoms will impact your child throughout life. However, early treatment of some symptoms can lessen the severity and improve your child’s development. It is best to speak with a doctor who specializes in FAS, such as a developmental pediatrician, clinical geneticist, or child psychologist. Sometimes, this means that people drink alcohol without realizing that they are pregnant. However, recognizing the problem early and getting treatment for symptoms of the disorder can improve outcomes for your child.
KEY DIAGNOSTIC CRITERIA
But certain medicines can help with symptoms such as hyperactivity, inability to focus, or anxiety. There is no lab test that can prove a child has fetal alcohol syndrome. Many of its symptoms can seem like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
- However, diagnosis of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders can be difficult.
- People with FAS have better outcomes if they experience a supportive and loving environment during childhood.
- Alcohol exposure in utero increases the risk of spontaneous abortion, decreases birth weight, and can cause fetal alcohol syndrome, a constellation of variable physical and cognitive abnormalities.
- Fetal alcohol syndrome includes a characteristic group of defects including small head and brain, facial abnormalities, and defects of other organs.
- The challenges that occur along with fetal alcohol syndrome can be difficult to manage for the person with the condition and for the family.
However, there is no treatment for lifelong birth defects and intellectual disability. Babies and children with alcohol-related damage often need developmental follow-up and, possibly, long-term treatment and care. Prenatal or postnatal growth retardation typically results in a height or weight below the 10th percentile for age and race.
Lifestyle Quizzes
Therefore, early diagnosis and treatment are important to help maximize a child’s potential. To diagnose fetal alcohol syndrome, doctors look for unusual facial features, lower-than-average height and weight, small head size, problems with attention and hyperactivity, and poor coordination. They also try to find out whether the mother drank while they were pregnant and if so, how much.
The more you drink while pregnant, the greater the risk to your unborn baby. Your baby’s brain, heart and blood vessels begin to develop in the early weeks of pregnancy, before you may know you’re pregnant. If you’ve already consumed alcohol during pregnancy, it’s never too late to stop.
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Diagnosis
This is because it takes time for your body to build up enough hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin, a hormone that develops in early pregnancy) to be detected on a pregnancy test. During those early weeks of pregnancy, the fetus is going through a massive surge of development. Alcohol use during this time could negatively impact the baby. The beginning of fetal development is the most important for the whole body, but organs like the brain continue to develop throughout pregnancy. It’s impossible to exactly pinpoint all of the development during pregnancy, making it risky to drink alcohol at any time prior to birth.