Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is a collection of birth defects caused by drinking alcohol during pregnancy.

This is very bad for baby

There is a range of birth defects associated with drinking during pregnancy known as Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders can include neurological problems, behavior problems, defects in the heart, bones, kidneys, or hearing, and many other abnormalities. When several problems appear in a particular combination, the pattern is called Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS).

Babies born with FAS have:

• Abnormal facial features
• Low birth weight and failure to "catch up" in later growth
• Central nervous system problems

They may also have other alcohol-related birth defects.

In fetal alcohol syndrome, the baby's face does not develop normally. Characteristic facial features include:

• Extra skin folds at the corner of the eye
• Small eye openings
• A low, flattened nasal bridge and short nose
• A small midface
• A think upper lip
• A flattened or missing philtrum (the groove that normally extends from the nose to the upper lip)
• A small head

Children with FAS may have some or all of these features.

Drinking during pregnancy can lead to intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR). IUGR is a medical term referring to fetuses that are smaller than expected for the current stage of pregnancy. When these babies are born, they are generally underweight.

Often, healthy babies who are born small will grow quickly and soon reach normal size, going on to be normal-sized children and adults. However, babies with FAS may not have this "catch up" growth. They often go on to be among the smallest children in their age groups and they may remain short as adults.

Children with FAS also have difficulty learning. They may have attention deficits, poor memory, trouble with problem-solving, and/or behavioral problems. They tend to develop and mature more slowly than their peers and may never fully catch up. Other neurological problems can include seizures, hyperactivity, and mental retardation.

FAS sometimes includes deformities of the brain, which can be seen on an MRI scan. In particular, the corpus callosum, the part of the brain that joins the left and right sides, may be abnormally small or even missing.

Any baby whose mother drank alcohol while pregnant can be born with FAS. It crosses all racial boundaries and affects people from all walks of life.

No one knows for sure how many babies are affected by FAS. In the U.S., it's probably about one or two babies in every 1,000 births, though it may affect as many as one in 100 children.

Babies born to mothers who drink heavily are at much higher risk. Depending on how "heavy drinking" is defined, the risk of having an affected baby ranges from 4 to 44 percent for heavy drinkers. Binge drinking seems to have an especially high risk.

Babies born to moms who drink are at risk of other problems in addition to fetal alcohol syndrome and FASD. These risks include:

• placental abruption
• amnionitis (an infection in the womb)
• miscarriage
• premature birth
• stillbirth
• sudden infant death syndrome

Doctors say that there is no safe amount of alcohol when you're pregnant. No one knows how much alcohol it takes to cause FAS or if there is a time during pregnancy when it might be safe to drink. Keep in mind that alcohol crosses the placenta. That means when you drink, your baby is drinking too. The concentration of alcohol in baby's blood is the same as it is in yours.

A fetus's developing liver can't process alcohol, so your baby relies on your body to clear the alcohol from both your blood and his. In addition, alcohol takes longer to clear from amniotic fluid (the fluid that surrounds the baby), so the baby may feel the effects longer than you do.

The time to quit drinking is before you get pregnant. By the time you miss your period, you've already been pregnant for about two weeks and the baby has been sharing your wine, beer, or liquor the entire time. If you're thinking about having a baby, stop drinking alcohol before you stop using birth control.

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