What Happens When a Baby Is Exposed to Alcohol? FASD

Babies with FASDs can experience a wide range of impairments in physical growth, learning, and behavior. The most severe type of FASD is fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), which can cause severe physiological and intellectual disabilities in a growing baby. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has classified FAS into four categories based on criteria that include:

• Selected facial malformations
• Growth retardation
• Central nervous system (CNS) abnormalities
• Maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy

^{Credit: FAS Diagnostic and Prevention Network, https://depts.washington.edu/fasdpn/htmls/fasd-fas.htm}

Children with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) have facial features such as:

• Small eyes
• Thin upper lip
• Smooth philtrum (groove between the nose and upper lip)

Other features of the condition include the following:

• Poor growth: Low birth weights
• Birth defects: Heart, bone, and kidney problems, as well as vision problems and deafness
• Neurologic problems: Seizures, poor balance, and poor coordination
• Delayed development: Delay in reaching infant milestones
• Behavioral problems: 
  • Babies: 
    • Crankiness 
    • Trouble sleeping
  • Older children: 
    • Lack of coordination and fine-motor skills
    • Trouble relating to others
    • Learning problems, poor memory, and poor problem-solving skills
    • Behavior problems such as hyperactivity, impulsiveness, and poor attention and concentration

Diagnosis of fetal alcohol syndrome is made based on symptoms, especially if it is known that the mother drank alcohol during the pregnancy. However, FASD in children with milder symptoms can be difficult to diagnose. There are no lab tests that can confirm a diagnosis of the condition.

In some cases, a team of specialists can help assess the child and make a diagnosis. This team may include developmental pediatricians, neurologists, genetic specialists, psychologists, speech therapists, and occupational therapists.

Although fetal alcohol syndrome FAS is a lifelong condition with no cure, early intervention and support can help improve child development.

Treatment will depend on the range of the baby's symptoms. The most common approaches include:

• Early intervention services that teach children under age 3 to walk, talk, and socialize with others
• Behavior and education therapy programs that can help teach social skills and self-regulation
• Parent training that helps parents or caregivers understand FAS, how it affects their children, and how to care for them
• Family therapy or counseling

Although medications specifically for the treatment of FAS have not yet been approved, doctors may use drugs to treat specific symptoms:

• Stimulants that may help with attention or emotional regulation
• Neuroleptic drugs that may help with aggression or convulsions

Alternative therapies can also help manage FAS symptoms:

• Relaxation therapy or meditation
• Biofeedback
• Acupuncture
• Massage
• Yoga
• Creative art therapy
• Animal-assisted therapy