This is because a woman could get pregnant and not know for up to 4 to 6 weeks. It takes most people 4–6 weeks to confirm that they are pregnant after having penetrative sex. Therefore, people who are trying to get pregnant may be pregnant for 1 month or more without knowing it. Children older than 3 are not eligible for early intervention, but they can qualify for special education services before kindergarten or while enrolled in school. You can contact your local elementary school or board of education to request an evaluation. You can find a clinic in your area through FASD United’s National and State Resource Directory.
Risk factors
- The beginning of fetal development is the most important for the whole body, but organs like the brain continue to develop throughout pregnancy.
- The cause of fetal alcohol syndrome is exposure to alcohol during pregnancy.
- Many features seen with fetal alcohol syndrome also may occur in children with other conditions.
People with FAS may have distinctive facial features, which range from small eye openings to a flat nose bridge. FASD is completely avoidable if you do not drink alcohol while you’re pregnant. Speak to a GP or health visitor if you have any concerns about your child’s development or think they could have FASD. The nature of these disorders means that challenges may continue into adulthood, needing ongoing support and accommodations. The outlook for individuals with FASDs varies based on the severity of their symptoms and how much support they receive.
- Teenagers with fetal alcohol syndrome may experience behavioral, cognitive, and physical limitations.
- Lifelong treatment is required and is more effective if collaborative care coordination occurs between all professional agencies.
- If you are consuming alcohol and trying to become pregnant or you are currently pregnant, reach out to a healthcare provider for help quitting.
- If you’re currently pregnant, it’s never too late to stop drinking—reach out to a healthcare provider if you need help quitting alcohol.
- Although FAS is an incurable lifelong condition that is underdiagnosed, treatment can improve its symptoms.
- It is best to speak with a doctor who specializes in FAS, such as a developmental pediatrician, clinical geneticist, or child psychologist.
How to Tell if a Child Has FAS
Therapies and treatments during a person’s early years may help them reach their fullest potential. Any amount of alcohol consumption during pregnancy can have harmful effects. These effects worsen in severity according to the amount of alcohol a pregnant person consumes. Consuming large amounts of alcohol may lead to more severe cases of FASDs. A doctor or health visitor will need to know if your child was exposed to alcohol during pregnancy to help make a diagnosis of FASD.
What are other effects of FASDs?
- Prenatal alcohol exposure is the leading preventable cause of congenital (present at birth) conditions in the United States.
- There are a number of medications and other treatments that help manage the effects of FASDs.
- The signs and symptoms of a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) will differ from one child to another and depend on which type of FASD a child has.
- The cranial neural crest cells (NCCs) contribute to the formation of the craniofacial bones.
Because many people do not know they are pregnant during those first few weeks, the risk of FAS increases if you drink alcohol and have unprotected sex. However, recognizing the problem early and getting treatment for symptoms of the disorder can improve outcomes for your child. It is essential to speak with a doctor as soon as possible if a child shows signs of FAS.
We’ve gathered information to help you feel prepared talking with your teenager’s doctor. Choosing the right medication, or combination of medications, celebrities with fetal alcohol syndrome depends on an individual’s symptoms. To learn more about medications for FASDs, a person can speak with a healthcare professional.
Understanding Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders
The U.S. surgeon general also recommends abstaining from alcohol if you’re trying to conceive. If you’re currently pregnant, it’s never too late to stop drinking—reach out to a healthcare provider if you need help quitting alcohol. Treatment to help a mother with alcohol addiction is also recommended.
How early can you tell if your child has fetal alcohol syndrome?
A permanent condition, fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) happens when a person consumes any amount of alcohol during a pregnancy. Alcohol use during pregnancy can interfere with the baby’s development, causing physical and mental defects. Fetal alcohol syndrome is the most severe condition within a group of conditions called fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs). Fetal alcohol syndrome is on the severe end of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD).
This could be from a doctor, an addiction support service, or a mental health professional. Instead, a team of healthcare professionals will assess a person’s symptoms against a list of criteria. This team may include a doctor or pediatrician with experience diagnosing FASDs, a psychologist, a speech-language therapist, and an occupational therapist. Although FAS is an incurable lifelong condition that is underdiagnosed, treatment can improve its symptoms.
This means that some people with mild symptoms of FASD might never be diagnosed. FASDs are a group of conditions that occur when fetuses have exposure to alcohol during pregnancy. In the United States, FASDs affect an estimated 1–5% of children in the first grade of school. Here, we’ll take a close look at the impacts that fetal alcohol syndrome and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, in general, can have on the mental health of people who are affected. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) designated specific drugs for treating the symptoms of withdrawal from alcohol in babies.