Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Drinking during pregnancy can result in a child being born with a range of disorders known as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), the most severe of which is fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS).

There is no cure or treatment for the disabilities of fetal alcohol syndrome of there are certain protective factors that can be implemented to lessen or prevent the development of secondary conditions associated with FAS.

Children who are born with fetal alcohol syndrome are likely to develop a wide range of secondary conditions, problems that they were not born with, but can acquire as a result of having FAS.

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) include fetal alcohol syndrome and other conditions in which children have some, but not all of the symptoms of fetal alcohol syndrome, such as alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder (ARND) and alcohol-related birth defects (ARBD).

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) is an overall term that refers to a large range of effects that can occur in a child whose mother drank alcohol during pregnancy, including physical, mental, behavioral and/or learning disabilities.

Here are the questions The National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities most often receives about Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, along with their answers.

Advanced MRI imaging of the brain has now revealed what happens in the brain to cause problems in FAS children.

Parenting a child with fetal alcohol syndrome can be a challenge, but it is not hopeless. There are resources available to help.

A professor of clinical pediatrics says the term "Fetal Alcohol Syndrome" does not go far enough in describing all of the possible effects of drinking while pregnant and may cause misunderstanding among pregnant women about the dangers.

Some or all of these common classroom symptoms may happen to children with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome or Effects.

A simple eye movement test can help diagnose children suffering from Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder and enable practitioners to improve treatment for the condition because they can begin to treat it early.

In a study called Project CHOICES, counseling sessions had a significant impact on women at high risk for binge drinking, unplanned pregnancy, and exposure to alcohol during pregnancy.

By testing the baby's first stool for the presence of fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs), it can be determined if the newborn was exposed to alcohol in the womb.

Mothers who drink excessively during pregnancy may no longer be able to hide that fact from their doctors, thanks to a new test developed by the Toronto Hospital for Sick Children.

A SAMSHA resource kit is designed to help pregnant Native American women avoid the harm of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.

A new eye blink test may help identify children exposed to alcohol prenatally and therefore allow them to be treated earlier.

The term fetal alcohol syndrome was first used to describe a pattern of abnormalities observed in children born to alcoholic mothers.

Researchers have found in a study with mice that nicotinamide, a drug that is commonly used in patients with some autoimmune diseases, could protect mice after alcohol exposure and possibly prevent fetal alcohol syndrome in humans.

Researchers have found that prenatal alcohol exposure can affect an infant's visual acuity or sharpness of vision, adding another adnormality observed in children suffering from fetal alcohol syndrome.

A study of the effects of moderate to heavy prenatal alcohol exposure on cognitive function confirms earlier findings of slower processing speed and efficiency, particularly when cognitive tasks involve working memory.

Scientists have demonstrated a new way to assess the potentially damaging effects of prenatal drug exposure -- a technique that could also be used to monitor a fetus's response to therapeutic drugs -- using sophisticated, noninvasive medical imaging tools.

From your About.com guide, some experts say moderate drinking during pregnancy is okay, but there are others who believe taking even one drink is like playing Russian Roulette with your baby's health.

Research indicates that maternal age and first-trimester drinking by mothers with a history of drinking problems can have substantial effects on IQ in their children.

Pregnant women who abuse alcohol may reduce the risk of birth defects in their babies by taking antioxidants during pregnancy, a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill study indicates.

Indiana University School of Medicine is taking a close look at the faces of children with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome using sophisticated technology and facial recognition techniques.

Tragedy leaves one family without a 9-year-old daughter and a Nation wondering how to deal with offenders who suffer from fetal alcohol syndrome.

Researchers are on the verge of developing a pharmaceutical treatment that could block the effects of FAS for the unborn children of mothers who continue to drink during pregnancy.

A collection of stories, health tips, and practical knowledge to help parents and foster parents learn about Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.

Children born with FAS or FAE have to face a lifetime of pain, frustration and disappointment; the impact on all levels society cannot be ignored.

A baby born with FAS may be seriously handicapped and require a lifetime of special care.

More than 10% of children have been exposed to high levels of alcohol in utero. All will suffer varying degrees of effects.