A Brief Overview of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
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Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders are a broad term that refer to the symptoms manifested in a child whose mother drank during their pregnancy. As the placenta cannot selectively stop alcohol from crossing, the fetus ends up exposed to the same blood alcohol level as the mother during the pregnancy.
A developing fetus does not yet have the capability to deal with the detoxification and clearance of a compound such as ethanol. Due to the buildup of this toxic compound, various developing tissues can be negatively affected, resulting in physical and behavioural deficits. This can present clinically as cognitive and/or physical disabilities in the child that become apparent as the child grows up.
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), once thought to be a singular disease, actually lies on the extreme end of the spectrum that these diseases lie on. A variety of Signs and Symptoms can appear based on the amount and frequency of alcohol consumed by the mother, as well as the stage during the pregnancy that alcohol was consumed.
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders are often difficult to diagnose and require a team of physicians to determine the severity of the disease. Tell tale signs of fetal alcohol syndrome at birth for example often include a thin upper lip, a missing philtrum, small eyes and head, and low body weight, though the extent that each of these symptoms appears can vary.
In addition, there are various Types of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, including alcohol-related defects, alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorders and neurobehavioural disorder associated with prenatal alcohol exposure. These are disorders that are distinctly different from fetal alcohol syndrome, however they share the underlying cause of maternal drinking during pregnancy.
Since there is no scientifically proven level of alcohol that is safe to consume during pregnancy, the best guideline to follow is not to drink alcohol at all during any stage of pregnancy.
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