Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder FASD
Because early diagnosis may help reduce the risk of long-term problems for children with biofeedback, let your child’s doctor know if you drank alcohol while you were pregnant. If you drink alcohol during pregnancy you risk causing harm to your baby. Sometimes this can result in mental and physical problems in the baby, called foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). First, drinking alcohol and hypoxia are related, and hypoxia is a primary cause of cellular damage [37]. If a mother drinks alcohol and the alcohol is metabolized in the liver, the amount of oxygen in the circulation would significantly decrease.
How is fetal alcohol syndrome diagnosed?
During early pregnancy, the fetus is already developing rapidly. Alcohol consumption could harm the developing fetus at any time during pregnancy — especially early on in the development process. Any amount of alcohol during pregnancy can cause fetal alcohol syndrome. Damage to your developing baby can happen at any point during pregnancy. All alcohol, including beer, wine, ciders and hard liquor can all cause FAS. If you have adopted a child or are providing foster care, you may not know if the biological mother drank alcohol while pregnant — and it may not initially occur to you that your child may have fetal alcohol syndrome.
What is FAS?
There’s no cure for FASDs, but early treatment can help your child thrive. This involves understanding the unique challenges of parenting a child with an FASD and adjusting as necessary. Parents may also benefit from joining local support groups or finding a family counselor. The Centers for Disease compare different sober houses Control and Prevention (CDC) explain that roughly half of all pregnancies in the United States are unplanned. Not only that, but women may not know they’re pregnant in the first 4 to 6 weeks. It takes most people 4–6 weeks to confirm that they are pregnant after having penetrative sex.
How is fetal alcohol syndrome treated?
- It can take four to six weeks before you know you’re pregnant.
- Most often, FASDs are diagnosed based on the mother’s history and the appearance of the baby, based on a physical examination by a doctor.
- Other groups, like the National Institutes of Health, have higher estimates — 1 to 5 children per every 100.
- Alcohol is broken down more slowly in the baby than in an adult.
Speak to a GP or health visitor if you have any concerns about your child’s development or think they could have FASD. FASD can happen when alcohol in the mother’s blood passes to her baby through the placenta. Speak with a doctor if you’re pregnant and have been consuming alcohol.
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
In this case, the mother must have consumed more than 13 alcoholic beverages during each month (30 days) of pregnancy or more than two alcoholic beverages at a time. However, while higher amounts of alcohol are more harmful, there is no known amount or type of alcohol that is safe to consume while pregnant. All alcoholic drinks, including wine and beer, have a similar effect on a developing baby. A child with FAS will not necessarily have all of these symptoms. Additionally, many of these symptoms can occur due to other conditions.
The extreme case of alcohol-related effects is the death of the fetus and miscarriage. Our scientists are studying how to stop drinking alcohol and the impact of environmental factors in the etiology, treatment, and prevention of mental retardation and developmental disabilities. No one particular treatment is correct for everyone with fetal alcohol syndrome. FAS exists on a spectrum of disorders and the way each person is impacted by the condition can vary greatly.
There are currently five conditions that make up FASD, including fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). One person might have only a few, while another person could experience all of them. An individual with FAS may have noticeable changes to their face and limbs, as well as delays in the way their body develops over time. There can also be mental and emotional challenges throughout the person’s life that can impact their social life, education and work. Early intervention and a stable, nurturing home are important factors in protecting children with fetal alcohol syndrome from some of the secondary disabilities they’re at risk of later in life. Children with fetal alcohol syndrome and their families may benefit from the support of professionals and other families who have experience with this syndrome.
Some studies have also found that prenatal alcohol exposure, particularly from heavy drinking during pregnancy, can increase SIDS risk. The NIH-funded Safe Passage Study elucidates how SIDS risk is influenced by the timing and amount of prenatal exposure to tobacco and alcohol. A report of the study appears in EclinicalMedicine, an online journal published by The Lancet.
These include healing practices, such as massage and acupuncture (the placement of thin needles into key body areas). Alternative treatments also include movement techniques, such as exercise or yoga. Parents and siblings might also need help in dealing with the challenges this condition can cause. Parents can also receive parental training tailored to the needs of their children. Parental training teaches you how to best interact with and care for your child. According to many studies, alcohol use appears to be most harmful during the first three months of pregnancy.
Your baby’s brain, heart and blood vessels begin to develop in the early weeks of pregnancy, before you may know you’re pregnant. You can also find your nearest alcohol support services or read advice on cutting down your drinking and alcohol in pregnancy. Once the condition has been diagnosed, a team of healthcare professionals can assess your child’s needs and offer appropriate educational and behavioural strategies. There is no particular treatment for FASD, and the damage to a child’s brain and body cannot be reversed. The type of FASD symptoms a baby has and how severe they are is different depending on how often, and how much, the mother drank during pregnancy. The greater the amount of alcohol consumed, the more severe the symptoms tend to be.
Public school systems can also offer support to children with FASDs. State and local social services can help families with special education and social services. Children with FASDs also are helped by being in a loving, nurturing, and stable home. This means that someone else takes over the care of the child for a short time. This gives the parents a break so they can take care of other family needs.
