What causes fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)?
Fetal alcohol syndrome happens when a person drinks any alcohol during pregnancy, including wine, beer, hard ciders and “hard liquor”. Without alcohol use, FAS doesn’t happen. One reason alcohol is dangerous during pregnancy is that it’s passed through your bloodstream to the fetus through the umbilical cord. The baby doesn’t metabolize (break down) alcohol in the same way an adult does – it stays in the body for a longer period of time.
Alcohol can interfere with the normal development of the fetus, particularly the brain and central nervous system. This occurs in any of the following ways:
- Alcohol can kill cells in different parts of the fetus, causing abnormal physical development.
- Alcohol interferes with the way nerve cells develop, how they travel to form different parts of the brain and their functioning.
- Alcohol constricts blood vessels, which slows blood flow to the placenta (food supply while in the uterus). This causes a shortage of oxygen and nutrients to the fetus.
- Toxic byproducts are produced when the body processes alcohol. These can then concentrate in the baby’s brain cells and cause damage.
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.
It’s also recommended that you avoid beverages containing alcohol when you’re trying to become pregnant. Many people don’t know they’re pregnant for the first few weeks of pregnancy (four to six weeks). This is because it takes time for your body to build up enough hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin, a hormone that develops in early pregnancy) to be detected on a pregnancy test. During those early weeks of pregnancy, the fetus is going through a massive surge of development. Alcohol use during this time could negatively impact the baby.
How much alcohol causes fetal alcohol syndrome?
Any amount of alcohol during pregnancy can cause fetal alcohol syndrome. There’s no safe amount that can be consumed. Damage to your developing baby can happen at any point during pregnancy. Even having a drink at the very beginning isn’t safe. All alcohol, including beer, wine, ciders and hard liquor can all cause FAS.
Advertisem*nt
What are the symptoms of FASD?
The signs and symptoms of fetal alcohol syndrome can vary. One person might have only a few, while another person could experience all of them. FAS includes mental and physical challenges. An individual with FAS may have noticeable changes to their face and limbs, as well as delays in the way their body develops over time. There can also be mental and emotional challenges throughout the person’s life that can impact their social life, education and work.
Infants
Symptoms that infants with fetal alcohol syndrome could experience include:
- Abnormal facial features, including a smooth ridge between the nose and upper lip, a thin upper lip, and small eyes.
- Low body weight.
- Short height.
- Sleep and sucking difficulties.
- Small head size.
- Vision or hearing problems.
Early childhood and beyond
Symptoms that may develop over time in people with fetal alcohol syndrome include:
- Delayed speech and language development.
- Difficulty concentrating and short attention span.
- Difficulty telling the difference between reality and fantasy.
- Hyperactivity.
- Learning disabilities.
- Low IQ.
- Poor coordination.
- Poor reasoning and judgment skills.
- Poor school performance.
- Poor short-term memory.
How early can you tell if your child has fetal alcohol syndrome?
In some cases, your healthcare provider might be able to diagnose a child with fetal alcohol syndrome at birth based on small size and specific physical appearance. 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.
