Overview
Fetal alcohol syndrome is a condition in a child that results from alcohol exposure during the mother’s pregnancy. Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can cause the child to have disabilities related to behavior, learning and thinking, and physical development. The symptoms of fetal alcohol syndrome vary from child to child but are lifelong.
Fetal alcohol syndrome is on the severe end of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). FASD is a range of conditions in the child caused by the mother drinking alcohol during pregnancy.
There is no amount of alcohol that’s known to be safe to drink during pregnancy. If you drink during pregnancy, you place your baby at risk of fetal alcohol syndrome.
If you suspect your child has fetal alcohol syndrome, talk to your doctor or other healthcare professional as soon as possible. Early diagnosis and treatment may help lessen some issues.
Symptoms
The severity of fetal alcohol syndrome symptoms varies. Some children have far greater problems than others do. Symptoms of fetal alcohol syndrome may include any mix of issues with how the body develops; thinking, learning and behavior; and functioning and coping in daily life.
Physical development issues
How the body develops may include:
- Facial features that are typical of fetal alcohol syndrome. These may include small eyes, a very thin upper lip, a flat nose bridge, and a smooth skin surface between the nose and upper lip.
- Slow physical growth before and after birth.
- Delayed development, including taking longer to reach milestones, such as sitting, talking and walking.
- Vision or hearing problems.
- Smaller than average head and brain size.
- Changes with how the heart, kidneys and bones develop.
- Poor coordination or balance.
- Being jittery or hyperactive.
Learning and thinking issues
Learning and thinking may include:
- Intellectual disability and learning disorders, including trouble with memory, learning new things, focusing and thinking.
- Not understanding the results of choices made.
- Poor judgment skills, such as having a hard time thinking through issues, problem-solving, reasoning and making decisions that affect everyday life.
- Short attention span that affects staying with a task and finishing.
- Poor concept of time, that impacts following schedules, knowing what time to leave in order to arrive on time and understanding how long a task will take.
- Trouble with organizing and planning or working toward a goal, including trouble understanding and following directions.
Social and behavioral issues
Functioning in everyday life, coping and interacting with others may include:
- Challenges in school with attendance, learning, behavior and interacting with others.
- Trouble getting along with others, including struggling with communication and social skills.
- Trouble adapting to change or switching from one task to another.
- Issues with behavior and with controlling emotions and actions.
- Problems managing life skills, such as telling time, self care, managing money and staying safe.
- Being easily influenced by others or taken advantage of.
- Quickly changing moods.
When to see a doctor
If you are pregnant and can’t stop drinking alcohol, ask your obstetrician, primary care doctor or other healthcare professional for help. You also may choose to talk to a mental health professional. A social worker can direct you to community programs that offer help, for example, Alcoholics Anonymous.
Because early diagnosis may help lessen the risk of some challenges for children with fetal alcohol syndrome, let your child’s healthcare professional know if you drank alcohol while you were pregnant. Don’t wait for your child to have issues before seeking help.
If you adopted a child or are providing foster care, you may not know if the biological mother drank alcohol while pregnant. International adoption from some countries may have a higher rate of alcohol use by pregnant mothers. If you have concerns about your child’s learning or behavior, talk with your child’s healthcare professional to find out what might be causing these problems.
