What is fetal alcohol syndrome?

Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is the term used for certain problems that a child may have if the mother drinks too much alcohol during her pregnancy. These problems may be physical, mental, or behavioral.

There is also an increased risk of miscarriage if a mother drinks too much alcohol during pregnancy.

How does it occur?

Any alcohol you drink goes into your bloodstream and then through the placenta and into the baby's bloodstream. The amount of alcohol in the baby's bloodstream is the same as the amount in your bloodstream. Alcohol in the bloodstream can affect the baby's development.

Doctors and researchers are not sure how much alcohol puts the baby at risk. The more you drink during pregnancy, the greater the danger to the unborn baby. Regular drinking can harm your baby. There may be less risk if you drink moderately and infrequently. Women who have one or more drinks every week are much more likely to have children with FAS than women who seldom drink during pregnancy.

It is not clear that in order to prevent FAS you must never drink alcohol during pregnancy. However, because we do not know what level of alcohol becomes dangerous, drinking no alcohol at all during pregnancy is the only sure way to avoid any risk of problems from alcohol.

How is it diagnosed?

There is no reliable way to diagnose FAS before birth. After birth, children who have FAS may have the following problems:

• mental retardation
• poor muscle coordination
• small size and slow growth
• thin upper lip
• cleft palate
• abnormalities of eyes, nose, and face
• deformities of limbs, joints, and fingers
• very small head and brain (microcephaly)
• heart defects
• chronic middle ear infections
• hearing loss
• dental problems
• vision problems
• behavioral problems such as hyperactivity, extreme nervousness, and poor attention span.

What can be done to help prevent fetal alcohol syndrome?

No amount of alcohol has been proven to be absolutely safe for the unborn child. To give your baby a better chance to be born healthy, avoid alcohol throughout your pregnancy. Also, avoid drinking alcohol when you are trying to get pregnant.