When a pregnant person drinks alcohol, the alcohol enters the bloodstream and can reach the bloodstream of the developing fetus. Exposure to alcohol can affect the fetus’s growth and development. Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is the most severe fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.
Other treatment options
Long-term problems in children with FASDs may include psychiatric problems, gang and criminal behavior, poor socialization, unemployment, and incomplete education. It is best to speak with a doctor who specializes in FAS, such as a developmental pediatrician, clinical geneticist, or child psychologist. It is essential to speak with a doctor as soon as possible if a child shows signs of FAS. Early identification can improve the outcome for children with FAS and raise their quality of life. Diagnosing FASDs can be hard because there is no medical test, like a blood test, for these conditions. And other disorders, such as ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder) and Williams syndrome, have some symptoms like FAS.
Why is at-risk drinking a problem for non-pregnant women?
Having four or more drinks within two hours is considered a single binge-drinking episode for females. No, but early diagnosis and treatment for specific FAS symptoms can greatly improve your child’s life. A child with fetal alcohol syndrome needs to be watched closely to see if their treatment needs to be adjusted. A doctor, counselor, or therapist can create a harm reduction plan and support system to help the person start to reduce their alcohol consumption in a healthy way. Sometimes, this means that people drink alcohol without realizing that they are pregnant. In this article, we look at why FAS occurs and its symptoms, treatments, and risk factors.
Goal of Fetal Alcohol Treatment
FASDs are a group of medical conditions that occur due to alcohol exposure during pregnancy. Alcohol can affect developing fetuses in a variety of ways, and the symptoms a person has determine which type of FASD diagnosis they receive. Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) describes a group of permanent symptoms experienced by people who were exposed to alcohol in utero (during pregnancy).
- Damage to your developing baby can happen at any point during pregnancy.
- These and other effects of FASDs can negatively affect social interactions.
Unfortunately, up to 5% of first graders in the United States have FASD. The FDA has designated specific drugs for treating the symptoms celebrities with fetal alcohol syndrome of withdrawal from alcohol in babies. However, there is no treatment for lifelong birth defects and intellectual disability.
- 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.
- Alcohol is a teratogen, which means that it is toxic to developing babies.
- This exposure typically occurs when a pregnant person drinks alcohol, and it enters the fetus’s bloodstream through the umbilical cord.
- 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.
- These children do well with a regular routine, simple rules to follow, and rewards for positive behavior.
- The symptoms of fetal alcohol syndrome vary from child to child but are lifelong.
- In some cities, there are clinics whose staff members have special training in diagnosing and treating children with FASDs.