What is fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD)?
FASD lasts throughout a child’s life
The effects of FASD last throughout life. The problems change as the child grows up. Behaviour and mood problems such as alcohol and drug abuse, depression, psychosis, and aggressive behaviour often begin in the teenage years.
Treating and Preventing Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effects
Fortunately, FAS and FAE are completely preventable conditions. A pregnant woman can prevent FAS and FAE in her baby by not drinking any alcohol at any point during pregnancy.
If a woman discovers that she is pregnant after consuming alcohol, abstaining from drinking alcohol from that point on is the best solution. By doing so, further damage to the baby is prevented.
The main things a woman can do to prevent FAS and FAE include:
not drinking any alcohol at all during pregnancy
not drinking any alcohol if you are trying to become pregnant
seeking medical or professional help if you drink regularly and can’t stop while pregnant
There is no way to reverse the damage of prenatal alcohol exposure. The mental and physical deficiencies associated with FAS and FAE last a lifetime. However, there are ways to help people with FAS or related conditions.
Children with FAS and FAE require good nutrition to help them grow and develop. As the child grows, parents can manage behavioural problems associated with FAS or FAE by:
learning as much as possible about the condition
seeking help from trained professionals
educating teachers and family members
finding support groups in the community
setting rules for the child and enforcing those rules
rewarding acceptable behaviour
providing the child with set daily routines
Medication is available to treat certain behavioural problems such as hyperactivity and attention deficit disorders (ADD) in children with FAS. Medications such as dextroamphetamine sulfate* and methylphenidate treat attention deficit and attention deficit hyperactivity disorders (ADHD).
People with FASD are commonly not able to manage their own lives, or to be totally independent as adults. They will need some kind of help their whole lives to be successful.
FASD is common
FASD affects approximately 1% of people living in Canada. This means that there may be about 300,000 people with FASD living in Canada today.
The epidemiology of fetal alcohol syndrome and partial FAS in a South African community.
The rate of FAS and PFAS in this area continues as the highest reported in any overall community and is much higher than rates elsewhere. In this cohort it is 68.0-89.2 per 1000. Severe episodic drinking on weekends among mothers of children with FAS and PFAS accounts for 96% of all alcohol consumed. Various measures of maternal drinking are significantly correlated with negative outcomes of children in the areas of non-verbal intelligence (-0.26), verbal intelligence (-0.28), problem behavior (0.31), and overall dysmorphology score (0.59). Significantly more FAS and PFAS exists among children of rural residents (OR=3.79).
Preventing FASD
The only way to prevent FASD is by not drinking when pregnant.
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Margaret Lintott, RN
Peggy Kirkpatrick, MD, FRCPC