Kentucky Partnership for Families and Children

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is a combination of mental and physical birth defects that include mental retardation, growth deficiencies, facial abnormalities, cognitive problems, and central nervous system dysfunction. . Fetal Alcohol Effects (FAE) is a condition where children are born with less dramatic physical effects, but with many of the same behavioral and psychosocial characteristics as those with FAS. FAE is often thought of as a lesser form of FAS, but that is not the case. Those with FAE look quite normal, but exhibit many deficits in their intellectual, behavioral, and social abilities.
Causes:The single cause of FAS is alcohol consumption while a woman is pregnant. Alcohol ingested by a pregnant woman easily passes across the placental barrier to the fetus. The alcohol goes directly to the developing baby at the same level of concentration as the mother. For example, if the woman's blood alcohol level is .10, so is the baby's. The difference is that the mother is much larger and her liver acts to detoxify the alcohol. The baby, on the other hand, is much smaller and does not have a mature liver to fight off the alcohol. Therefore, if a mother is drunk for a few hours, a baby in the womb can stay drunk for a few days. Alcohol damage to a developing baby occurs over a wide continuum. It varies by volume of alcohol consumed, how far along the woman is during her pregnancy, blood alcohol levels, both the mother and baby's genetics, and environmental factors.
CHARACTERISTICS:Children with FAS may exhibit a variety of physical, cognitive, and social abnormalities.

Physical characteristics include:
• Small birth weight
• Small head circumference
• Epicanthal folds
• Small, widely spaced eyes
• Flat midface
• Short, upturned nose
• Thin upper lip
• Underdeveloped jaw

The most serious characteristics of FAS are the invisible neurological symptoms. It is important to note that these symptoms are not behavior problems, but are a result of permanent, unchanging damage to the brain and are not within the child's control. These include:

• Developmental delays
• Attention deficits
• Memory deficits
• Hyperactivity
• Poor impulse control
• Immature behavior
• Poor judgement
• Poor problem solving skills
• Mental retardation

At the mild end, damage to the brain may cause loss of some intellectual functioning (IQ), attention-deficit disorder, and hearing or visual problems. At the severe end, damage may be severe loss of intellectual potential, severe vision problems, dyslexia, facial abnormalities, physical deformities, dental problems, heart defects, immune system malfunctioning, behavioral problems, hyperactivity, extreme impulsiveness, low capacity for moral judgement, epilepsy, and cerebral palsy. Binge drinking while pregnant can even cause immediate death of the unborn child.
Without proper support services, adolescents with FAS are at high risk of developing other problems such as mental illness, drug use and/or abuse, teen pregnancy, and trouble with the law. Adults with FAS have difficulty in many areas, such as staying in school, keeping a job, and sustaining healthy relationships.

Treatment:Unfortunately, there is no treatment for FAS. Once the brain is damaged, it is permanent. Since the brain is damaged in utero, brain tissue does not grow like it should and some neuronal connections are never made. This results in areas of the brain being underdeveloped or not developed at all. Some of the characteristics can be helped, however. With support services, caregivers can help FAS children manage their behavioral and social skills.
The best news about this disorder is that it is 100% preventable. Abstaining from alcohol during pregnancy will prevent any chance of a child being born with FAS.

What can be done to help:
Education and public awareness is the best weapon in defeating FAS. Since it is a preventable disorder, it can be overcome. Some suggestions to help in this effort are displaying warning posters in health clinics, colleges, and high schools, developing a public television or radio announcement, or hosting a free educational workshop for pregnant women in your community.

If you are raising a child with FAS or FAE, it is important to support the child's self-esteem, academics, and social skills. FAS children usually know that they are different and have a very hard time dealing with it.

Resources for Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
www.nofas.org
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Community Resource Center
www.come-over.to/FASCRC/
The ARC Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Resource Guide
www.thearc.org/misc/faslist.html
Suggested Readings/Books & Videos to Order
Fantastic Antone Succeeds: Experiences in Educating Children with FAS ($23.50 softcover, $33.50 hardcover S/H incl.) NOFAS, 1819 H Street NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20006 (202) 785-4585
Working with FAS Children: A Handbook for Caregivers of FAS/FAE Children. Jean Cornish Minnesota Services Associates. (612) 645-0688
"Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: The Impact on Children's Ability to Learn; National Health/Education Consortium Occasional Paper #10" Institute for Educational Leadership, 1001 Connecticut Ave. NW, #310, Washington, DC 20036 (202) 872-8450
Training Tapes for Living with F.A.S. and F.A.E. "The Early Years, Birth through Age 12" and "Independence, Ages 12 to Adult" seek to assist those living with FAS/FAE and their families through a variety of challenges, from soothing a fussy baby to adaptive living skills. Each tape is 32 minutes long. To order, write: Altschul Group Corporation, 1560 Sherman Avenue, Suite 100, Evanston, IL 60201-9971.
Children with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: A Handbook for Caregivers. ($8.00 includes S/H)