You do not need to wait for a healthcare provider’s referral or a medical diagnosis to make this call. If you think there could be a problem, ask your healthcare provider for a referral to a specialist (someone who knows about FASDs). Specialists could be a developmental pediatrician, child psychologist, or clinical geneticist.
How To Diagnose Fetal Alcohol Syndrome in Adults
However, consumption of alcohol any time during pregnancy can be harmful, according to guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics. If the child is more than 3 years of age, parents or caregivers can talk to a pediatrician and contact any nearby elementary school to ask for an evaluation. If the staff members are not familiar with the evaluation process, the next step is to ask to speak with the district’s special education director. It is best to speak with a doctor who specializes in FAS, such as a developmental pediatrician, clinical geneticist, or child psychologist. Some research suggests that a pregnant person’s environment may also play a role.
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder
As a fetus’s liver is not fully formed, this organ cannot metabolize alcohol. As a result, when a fetus becomes exposed to alcohol, they absorb all of it. Alcohol — including wine, beer, and liquor — is the leading preventable cause of birth defects in the U.S.
What causes fetal alcohol syndrome and other fetal alcohol spectrum disorders?
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. Prenatal alcohol exposure is a leading preventable cause of birth defects and neurodevelopmental disorders in the United Sober House States. Women who need help to stop drinking alcohol can talk to their health care provider about treatment options. There are a variety of treatments available for pregnant women, including behavioral treatment and mutual-support groups. Visit the NIAAA Alcohol Treatment Navigator® to learn more about evidence-based treatments for alcohol-related problems.
- Teratogens can interfere with a fetus’s growth and development, particularly that of the central nervous system (CNS), which includes the brain and spinal cord.
- People with FAS may have problems with their vision, hearing, memory, attention span, and abilities to learn and communicate.
- The rates of alcohol use, FAS, and FASD are likely to be underestimated, because of the difficulty in making the diagnosis and the reluctance of clinicians to label children and mothers.
- 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.
It’s important to talk with your teenager’s doctor if you believe they may have this condition but have not yet received a diagnosis, or if you believe other supportive measures are needed. Teenagers with fetal alcohol syndrome may experience trouble at school because of vision, hearing, or cognitive problems. They may also experience attention or behavioral difficulties. Establishing the history of alcohol consumption is one of the most difficult issues in diagnosing FAS. The pregnant woman who consumes alcohol is not always easily identified.
Alcohol exposure during pregnancy can result in FASD by interfering with development of the baby’s brain and other critical organs and physiological functions. This can lead to deficits after birth and beyond.2,3 Alcohol can disrupt development at any stage, even before a woman knows that she is pregnant. People with FAS may have problems with their vision, hearing, memory, attention span, and abilities to learn and communicate. While the defects vary from one person to another, the damage is often permanent. It is essential to speak with a doctor as soon as possible if a child shows signs of FAS.
- Our scientists are studying fetal alcohol syndrome and the impact of environmental factors in the etiology, treatment, and prevention of mental retardation and developmental disabilities.
- Damage to your developing baby can happen at any point during pregnancy.
- Therapies and treatments during a person’s early years may help them reach their fullest potential.
- When a pregnant person drinks alcohol, the alcohol enters the bloodstream and can reach the bloodstream of the developing fetus.
- If a mother continues to struggle with alcohol abuse after the child is born, rehabilitation services can help with addiction recovery.
- It is a lifelong condition affecting people through adulthood.
- Most people with an FASD have most often been misdiagnosed with ADHD due to the large overlap between their behavioral deficits.
Alcohol use during this time could negatively impact the baby. Damage from alcohol can happen at any point during pregnancy. 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. A doctor may also look at physical health and signs of FAS, such as smaller-than-expected head size and height and abnormalities in facial features.
Risk factors
Alcohol is broken down more slowly in the baby than in an adult. Even light or moderate drinking can affect the growing baby. They also try to find out whether the mother drank while they were pregnant and if so, how much.
Living in stressful, isolated, or adverse conditions may increase the chance of FAS. The frequency, strength, and quantity of alcoholic drinks have an effect, as well as the timing of consumption. Drinking alcohol late in a pregnancy increases the likelihood of FAS. Although https://financeinquirer.com/top-5-advantages-of-staying-in-a-sober-living-house/ the authorities have not approved any medications specifically for the treatment of FAS, doctors may use some drugs to treat certain symptoms. For example, stimulants may help with attention or emotional regulation, while neuroleptics may help with aggression.
