Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

1. Stages of Pregnancy Slideshow Pictures
2. Early Pregnancy Symptoms
3. Conception (Egg to Embryo) Slideshow Pictures

• Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Facts
• What is Fetal Alcohol Syndrome?
• Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Symptoms and Signs
• Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Diagnosis
• Diagnosis of Fetal Alcohol Effects
• Effects of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
• Cause of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
• Alcohol Consumption During Pregnancy

• Alcohol is capable of causing birth defects.
• FAS (fetal alcohol syndrome) always involves brain damage.
• FAS always involves impaired growth.
• FAS always involves head and face abnormalities.
• No amount of alcohol has been proven safe during pregnancy.
• Women who are or may become pregnant are advised to avoid alcohol.

• Although the dangers of alcohol during pregnancy had long been suspected, fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) was formally described in 1968 by P. Lemoine and colleagues from Nantes (France) in 127 children of alcoholic parents.
• Their report in a French pediatric journal drew little attention. Focus on FAS only came after it was independently re-described in 1973 by K.L. Jones and colleagues from Seattle (U.S.) in eight children of mothers with chronic alcoholism. Their report in the British medical journal The Lancet triggered an avalanche of reports of FAS.
• Alcohol is capable of causing birth defects. This capability classifies it medically as a teratogen.
• Alcohol is now recognized as the leading teratogen to which the fetus is likely to be exposed.
• This applies only to societies in which alcoholic beverages are consumed. In these populations, prenatal alcohol exposure is thought to be the most common cause of mental retardation.
• In fact, according to research published in Pediatrics, alcohol use among women of childbearing age (18-44 years) "constitutes a leading, preventable cause of birth defects and developmental disabilities in the U.S."

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

---

VIEW

Pregnancy Myths and Facts Quiz IQ

Must Read Articles Related to Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Alcoholism Alcohol problems vary in severity from mild to life threatening and affect the individual, the person's family, and society in numerous adverse ways. Signs of a...learn more >>

Pregnancy Week by Week Pregnancy occurs when an egg is fertilized by a sperm, grows inside a woman's uterus (womb), and develops into a baby. In humans, this process takes about 280 d...learn more >>

Spina Bifida Spina bifida is a birth defect characterized by a split of the spinal column, sometimes causing serious neurological problems, such as spina bifida cystica (mye...learn more >>

See the Entire Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Topic Guide »