F.A.S

Alcohol (wine, beer, or liquor) is the leading known preventable cause of mental and physical birth defects in the United States.

When a woman drinks alcohol during pregnancy, she risks giving birth to a child who will pay the price - in mental and physical deficiencies - for the rest of his or her entire life.

Yet many pregnant women do drink alcohol, and it's estimated that one in every 750 infants is born with a pattern of physical, developmental, and functional problems referred to as fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) each year in the United States. Another 40,000 children are born with fetal alcohol effects (FAE) each year.

If you have adopted your child, there are signs you can recognize that may indicate fetal alcohol syndrome. Or if you have consumed alcohol during pregnancy and are concerned that your child may have FAS, there are some signs that you can look for.

Signs and Symptoms of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Characteristics of children with FAS include:

low birth weight

small head circumference

failure to thrive

developmental delay

organ dysfunction

facial abnormalities, including smaller eye openings, flattened cheekbones, and indistinct philtrum (an underdeveloped groove between the nose and the upper lip)

epilepsy

poor coordination/fine motor skills

poor socialization skills, such as difficulty building and maintaining friendships and relating to groups

lack of imagination or curiosity

learning difficulties, including poor memory, inability to understand concepts such as time and money, poor language comprehension, poor problem-solving skills

behavioral problems, including hyperactivity, inability to concentrate, social withdrawal, stubbornness, impulsiveness, and anxiety

Children with FAE display the same symptoms, but to a lesser degree, and are less likely to have mental retardation.

Diagnosis and Long-Term Effects

Problems associated with FAS tend to intensify as children move into adulthood. These can include mental health problems, troubles with the law, and the inability to live independently.

Children with FAE are frequently undiagnosed. This also applies to children with alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder (ARND), a recently recognized category of prenatal damage that refers to those children who exhibit only the behavioral and emotional problems of FAS/FAE, without any signs of developmental delay or physical growth deficiencies.

Often, in kids with FAE or ARND, the behavior can appear as mere belligerence or obstinancy. They may score well on intelligence tests, but their behavioral deficits often interfere with their ability to succeed. Extensive education and training of health care professionals, parents, and teachers are essential to caring for