Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder

Abstract

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder is an “umbrella” term that describes the spectrum of ethanol teratogenesis in humans. At one end of the spectrum are the subset of individuals with fetal alcohol syndrome, and at the other end of the spectrum are those individuals with behavioral and cognitive deficits who exhibit minimal or no physical stigmata as a consequence of ethanol‐induced prenatal brain injury. It was not until the past 3 decades that the medical community was convinced of the devastating effects of excessive alcohol use in pregnancy on the children. Although the diagnosis of fetal alcohol syndrome and its spectrum is a medical diagnosis, its effects on society are far‐reaching. Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder is distinct from many genetic syndromes described in this book in that the disorder is potentially entirely preventable, and the diagnosis points toward two affected individuals: the drinking mother and the alcohol‐exposed child. Diagnosis, intervention, and prevention offer some of the greatest challenges to health care providers, families, and their communities. Multidisciplinary diagnostic teams are developing throughout North America and other parts of the world that provide accurate and comprehensive assessments and treatment options for affected individuals with this common disorder.

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder: counting the invisible - mission impossible?

“…Factors predicting better outcomes in children with FASD include earlier age of diagnosis, stable home environment, absence of neglect and abuse, and earlier intervention 11. A diagnosis is often associated with a paradigm shift and change in the perspectives of caregivers towards the child—from a child who won’t to a child who can’t—and directs more specific and approriate interventions 13. Importantly, identifying children with FASD early will identify their mother’s addiction, as without treatment and support these women are at high risk of having further affected children.…”

Implications of Higher Than Expected Prevalence of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

“…11 Thus, a universal diagnostic approach needs to be accepted or developed. 12 Ideally, novel and reliable biomarkers for detecting fetal alcohol effects will be identified, 12 which could have significant implications for intervention and therapeutic services.…”