Fetal Alcohol

Syndrome
Sarah Stratton

Retrieved from https://www.nofas.org/

Definition
 Fetal Alcohol Syndrome comes from the
umbrella term Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
Disorders (FASDs).
 This occurs when a pregnant woman
drinks alcohol during pregnancy.
 Damage can already be done in just the
first few weeks of pregnancy (even if the
soon-to-be mother does not know she is
pregnant).
Who, When, and How
 FAS was not a widely known disorder until
1973 when it was called a “tragic
disorder” by David W. Smith and Kenneth
L. Jones who were physicians studying at
the University of Washington
 Smith and Jones examined a group of 8
children at the University’s Harborview
Medical Center to try to determine what
caused the developmental delays
Who, When, and How Cont.
 4 of the 8 children were observed with similar
growth deficiencies, abnormally small heads,
and delays in cognitive development.
 All 8 of the mothers of the children observed
were alcoholics.
 Smith and Jones suspected that alcohol
might be acting as a teratogen (an agent
that causes damage to an embryo) and thus,
causing the developmental defects observed
in the children.
Biological Factors
 When a pregnant woman drinks alcohol,
some of that alcohol easily passes across the
placenta to the fetus.
 The body of a developing fetus doesn’t
process alcohol the same way as an adult
does.
 The alcohol is more concentrated in the
fetus, and it can prevent enough nutrition
and oxygen from getting to the fetus’s vital
organs.
 (FAS is a biological syndrome, thus I did not
find any known environmental factors)
 Red Flags/Characteristics
 FAS can result in a variety of symptoms, ranging from mild
to severe. A physical exam of the baby may show a heart
murmur (sounds during your heart beat cycle) or other
heart problems. As the baby matures, there may be other
signs that help confirm the diagnosis. These include:
1. slow rate of growth
2. abnormal facial features (a smooth ridge between the
upper lip and nose, small and wide-set eyes, thin upper
lip, etc)
3. hearing and vision problems
4. slow language acquisition
5. small head size
6. poor coordination
7. delayed development and problems in thinking, speech,
movement, and social skills
Age of Onset
 Inthe most severely affected children,
FAS can be diagnosed at birth, however,
the characteristic physical features are
most pronounced between eight months
and eight years of age
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2c
mss3tZ1s
What Has Become Known
About FAS
 1988 a US federal-level Surgeon General’s warning
was issued that cautioned against drinking when
pregnant, and was required to be displayed on all
alcoholic products.
 Since then, there has been an outburst of court
cases charging mothers who drink during
pregnancy with reckless endangerment, child
abuse, or attempted homicide.
 The discovery of FAS presented the need to
redefine how society perceives its role in
regulating drinking when pregnant, a relationship
that continues to be defined today
References
 Armstrong, E. M. & E L. Abel, E. L. (2000) Fetal alcohol
syndrome: The origins of a moral panic, Alcohol and
Alcoholism, 35(3), 276–282,
https://doi.org/10.1093/alcalc/35.3.276.
 Diagnosis of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). (2003). The
Canadian Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Review, 12(3),
81–86.
 FASDfamilies. (2012, November 5). The faces of FASD.
Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2cmss3tZ1s
 Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, (2017, August). Healthline.
Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/health/fetal-
alcohol-syndrome
 O’Neil, E. (2011) The Discover of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.
The Embryo Project Encyclopedia. Retrieved from
https://embryo.asu.edu/pages/discovery-fetal-alcohol-
syndrome.