Diagnosis, epidemiology, assessment, pathophysiology, and management of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders PMC

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 adopted a child or are providing foster care, you may not know if the biological mother drank alcohol while pregnant. International adoption from some countries may have a higher rate of alcohol use by pregnant mothers. If you have concerns about your child’s learning or behavior, talk with your child’s healthcare professional to find out what might be causing these problems.

Goal of Fetal Alcohol Treatment

However, diagnosis of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders can be difficult. FASD may present in childhood or early adulthood with mild social or intellectual concerns, or it can present with birth defects and growth problems during pregnancy. The result of alcohol on a developing fetus can lead to craniofacial differences, growth impairment, neurodevelopmental disabilities, and behavioral issues.

Diagnosis of FAS

Infants and children with FAS have many different problems, which can be difficult to manage. Children do best if they are diagnosed early and referred to a team of providers who can work on educational and behavioral strategies that fit the child’s needs. Women who are pregnant or who are trying to get pregnant should not drink any amount of alcohol. Pregnant women with alcohol use disorder should join a rehabilitation program and be checked closely by a health care provider throughout pregnancy.

Secondary conditions

The effects of FASDs can affect every aspect of an individual’s life. For example, research has shown that children with FASDs have a higher risk of experiencing family instability. The difficulties relating to FASDs may also become more pronounced over time.

Although more research is necessary, some studies show that the craniofacial differences of people with FAS may improve during or after adolescence. The traits most likely to persist are a thin upper lip and a smaller head circumference. With time, FAS children tend to have eye, ear, and dental problems.

• Computerized cognitive training, an increasingly common intervention for neurocognitive deficits, improves attention and working memory in children with FASD97 and represent just one potentially scalable modality for the treatment of FASD.
• This condition can be prevented if you don’t drink any alcohol during pregnancy.
• People should speak with a doctor or FAS specialist as soon as possible if they have concerns.
• However, these data suggest that prenatal alcohol exposure might lead to a different phenotype based on age and racial background.
• Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can cause the child to have disabilities related to behavior, learning and thinking, and physical development.

Any amount of alcohol consumption during pregnancy can have harmful effects. These effects worsen in severity according to the amount of alcohol a pregnant person consumes. Consuming large celebrities with fetal alcohol syndrome amounts of alcohol may lead to more severe cases of FASDs. While some deformities of FAS may be evident through prenatal ultrasound, it is difficult to diagnose FAS during pregnancy.

Does fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) last into adulthood?

• An estimated 50–90% of people with FASD are also diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and many other people have secondary mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety.
• If you have concerns about your child’s learning or behavior, talk with your child’s healthcare professional to find out what might be causing these problems.
• Even in patients who clearly have met diagnostic criteria, referral allows complete assessment for an individualized management plan (Table 34).
• There’s no cure for FASDs, but early treatment can help your child thrive.