Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

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Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is a condition affecting children born to women who

drink heavily during pregnancy. There are three criteria used to describe the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure and to make a diagnosis of FAS.

The first of these is a pattern of facial anomalies, these features include:

 Small eye openings

 Flat cheekbones

 Flattened groove between nose and upper lip

 Thin upper lip

These characteristics can gradually diminish as the child ages, but it is important to note that diagnosis does not change because of this.

The second criteria is growth deficiencies:

 Low birth weight

 Decelerating weight over time, not due to malnutrition

 Disproportional low weight to height

 Height and weight below the tenth percentile

The third criteria used to diagnosis FAS are brain injury. This includes:

 Decreased head size

 Behavioral and/or cognitive problems such as: mental handicap; learning difficulties; problems with memory; problems with social perception

 Neurological problems (impaired motor skills, poor coordination, hearing loss)

A person diagnosed with FAS may show one or more characteristics listed above, and there is a great variability in the outcome. ( McCreight, 1997)

Partial FAS is the recommended term used to describe the cluster of problems facing those who have some of the characteristic facial abnormalities associated with FAS, and one other component of FAS such as: growth deficiency; behavioral and cognitive problems or brain injury. This is only of course if it is known that there was significant prenatal exposure to alcohol. (Abel, ...

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...Children Affected by Fetal Alcohol

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