More Than a Hangover – Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Your Baby

Any alcohol your drink during pregnancy enters your bloodstream and crosses the placenta to reach the fetus. Just like you, the undeveloped fetus has to process the alcohol, but because of its immaturity, the metabolic rate of process is very slow. This results in a high blood alcohol concentration for the fetus that remains elevated a lot longer than yours.

The presence of alcohol in the fetus can impair nutrition for the baby’s developing tissues and organs, and it can also damage brain cells. If the alcohol affects the child, he or she is usually referred to as having Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) was first described in the United States in 1973 when researchers observed that children whose mothers drank heavily during pregnancy had a distinct set of facial abnormalities as well as growth retardation and significant behavioral and cognitive problems.

Today alcohol related birth defects are described in three ways: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), Alcohol Related Birth Defects (ARBD) and Alcohol Related Neurodevelopment Disorder (ARND). The broad name given to all three is Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). ARBD and ARND are also referred to as Fetal Alcohol Effects (FAE).

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is identified as a pattern of physical, developmental, and functional abnormalities in a child resulting from the mother drinking alcohol during her pregnancy. Characteristics of a child with FAS or partial FAS include:

• Facial anomalies
• Low birth weight
• Small head circumference
• Slow growth and small size
• Learning and developmental disabilities, especially in mathematics and memory
• Poor coordination
• Poor socialization skills and delayed social and emotional development

Alcohol Related Birth Defects (ARBD) describes the condition of a child who has physical defects as a result of the mother’s alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Physical defects include:

• Deformities in joints, limbs and fingers
• Heart defects
• Vision difficulties including nearsightedness
• Malformations and faulty development of bones and kidneys

Alcohol Related Neurodevelopment Disorder (ARND) refers to the neurodevelopment abnormalities and/or behavioral problems that occur in a child as a result of alcohol exposure during pregnancy.

FAS is difficult to measure and therefore the statistics vary. It is estimated that about one in every 750 infants born in the US has full-blown FAS, while ARND and ARBD are believed to occur in one out of every 250 infants born.

Recent research indicates that about half of the children born to women who drink during pregnancy are not affected by their mother’s drinking. The research also shows that risk factors such as maternal age, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, genetic factors and maternal alcohol metabolism as well as different drinking patterns can influence the chances of FAS affecting a child. But since little is known about these risk factors, the best advice is still to abstain from alcohol consumption entirely when pregnant.

There is no way to tell exactly how much alcohol will affect a child in the womb and so it is best for pregnant women to abstain from drinking altogether. It is confirmed that full-blown FAS only occurs as a result of chronic alcohol use, but ARND and ARBD can occur from either occasional drinking or binge drinking, depending on indeterminable factors.

That said, people do get unnecessarily hysterical over FAS. Many women panic when they realize they may have had a drink or two before they knew they were pregnant, or even eaten a meal that was cooked with wine,. This sort of reaction is over-the-top. Many people falsely believe that a single drink will affect their unborn child, but there is no medical evidence to support this at all. However, because there is no way of telling how much alcohol will be too much, the safest option is still to abstain altogether while pregnant.

If you are concerned that you have put your unborn child at risk of FAS by drinking while pregnant, or if you think your child has FAS, ARND or ARBD, then you should talk to your physician. Get a second opinion if you are still concerned.

There are no cures for FAS and other related conditions – they are lifelong. Prevention is the only “cure”.

If you are pregnant and unable to stop drinking you should seek support immediately in order to prevent the possibility of your child being affected with FAS. Make an appointment with your physician, or contact a local Alcoholics Anonymous or other alcohol treatment center for help.

If you have a partner, he or she also has a crucial role to play in preventing FAS by encouraging you to abstain from drinking. They can also show support by abstaining themselves, particularly in social situations where there is a pressure to drink alcohol.

The most important thing for a child with FAS is a supportive and loving environment. As the research shows, children who suffer from FAS, ARBD or ARND are at a higher risk of schooling problems as children, and mental health problems, criminal behavior and drug and alcohol abuse as adults. These children are not born with these conditions, but the difficulties of coping with FASDs increases their susceptibility.

However, research also shows that a stable, loving and supportive home environment and special education make a dramatic difference to the security and well being of sufferers of FASDs.

Families coping with FASDs are under considerable strain to provide this much-needed stable environment. Fortunately, awareness of the disorder is more prominent than it has been in the past, and plenty of support is available if you ask for it. The first point of contact for finding support is your physician or public health nurse. They can help you find local professional advice and support, and put you in touch with other families who have children with FASDs. Be assured that constant support of your child will make a difference.