Signs and Symptoms of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

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Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is caused by exposure to alcohol during pregnancy. There is no known safe level of alcohol during pregnancy, so prospective mothers should avoid all alcohol consumption throughout their pregnancy. Symptoms of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome include behavioral problems, learning disabilities, physical deformities and mental retardation.

Symptoms of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

• Stunted Growth. Growth deficiencies are common to children born with FAS. They typically have below-average weight and height, usually at or below the 10th percentile on a standardized growth chart.
• Facial Deformities. Children with FAS have characteristic facial abnormalities. These deformalities are thought to occur during the 10th and 20th week of pregnancy. The 3 facial features common of FAS children include: a smooth philtrum, which is the groove between the upper lip and nose, which flattens with exposure to alcohol in utero; a thin vermilion, or upper lip; and small eye openings. The severity of these abnormalities is observed by a trained physician and ranges from none and mild to severe. The risk of brain damage increases with the severity of these facial deformities as well.
• Central Nervous System (CNS) Damage. This symptom is the most common and definitive for an FASD diagnosis. Alcohol exposure in utero damages brain structures and is assessed in 3 key areas: functional, neurological and structural impairments. All forms of CNS damage may cause a range of symptoms, listed below.
• Symptoms related to FAS which may occur as well include: cardiac problems such as heart murmurs, ventricular septal defects and atrial septal defects; skeletal problems like joint anomalies; renal problems like hypoplastic, aplastic and dysplastic kidneys; ocular problems like optic nerve hypoplasia and strabismus; and other problems including a webbed neck, cleft lip with cleft palate, ptosis of the eyelid, a short neck, spina bifida, hydrocephalus and more.

Symptoms of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: CNS Damage
Symptoms caused by damage to the central nervous system include:

• epilepsy and seizure disorders
• impaired fine motor skills
• hearing loss
• clumsiness
• poor hand-eye coordination
• memory impairment
• learning disabilities
• emotional problems
• poor impulse control
• attention problems
• difficulty with abstract thought
• trouble with math
• impaired social perception and communication
• poor language skills
• sensory integration dysfunction