However, it is important not to panic if you consumed alcohol before you realised you were pregnant, as your baby may be completely unharmed. Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) occurs when a person who is pregnant consumes alcohol. The alcohol in the mother’s bloodstream crosses the placenta, passes into the foetus’s bloodstream and directly affects the developing foetus.

What causes fetal alcohol syndrome and other fetal alcohol spectrum disorders?

Another misconception is that beer or wine is less harmful than hard liquor or spirits. Some people believe that because these beverages have lower alcohol content, they pose a lower risk to the foetus. FASD UK Alliance is a partnership between independent support groups in the UK that provide local and national support in the UK. They provide information about support groups across the UK, as well as Facebook groups for individuals with FASD, families and professionals. Children with FASD typically struggle with learning and drunken baby syndrome memory, which can make it difficult for them to succeed in a traditional educational environment.

What are other effects of FASDs?

• Improving language abilities can improve their social interactions and overall academic performance.
• For some, it’s best to monitor their child’s progress throughout life, so it’s important to have a healthcare provider you trust.
• If you’ve consumed alcohol during pregnancy, talk to your healthcare provider.
• These defects are generally more pronounced in infants and children, and tend to become less noticeable as growth through adolescence and adulthood alters facial morphology.
• You do not need to wait for a healthcare provider’s referral or a medical diagnosis to make this call.

Programmed cell death is instrumental in normal embryological development as a highly heroin addiction regulated tool for removing damaged or obsolete populations of cells (e.g., the webbed skin between fingers). Ethanol-induced apoptosis results in the massive elimination of millions of CNCC that would otherwise have played an important role in normal facial development. This programmed cellular death has been hypothesized to be triggered by the creation of superoxide radicals during the metabolic breakdown of ethanol in the cells.

Difficulty in social interactions

Often mothers who drink have poor eating habits that also affect the baby. There is no known safe level of alcohol consumption during pregnancy. FAS is 100% preventable when a woman abstains completely from alcohol consumption during her pregnancy. While heavy drinking and binge drinking significantly increase the risk of FASD, even moderate or occasional drinking can cause harm to the foetus.

About Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs)

Preventing FASD relies on raising awareness, educating the public and providing support to help women avoid alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Public health campaigns play a key role in spreading awareness about the dangers of alcohol consumption during pregnancy. These campaigns can provide clear, consistent messages that emphasise the risks of prenatal alcohol exposure and the importance of abstaining from alcohol to prevent FASD.

Areas evaluated for FASD diagnoses

If your child is diagnosed with an FASD, the diagnosis will be for a specific condition under the umbrella of FASDs, as listed above. Because brain growth takes place throughout pregnancy, stopping alcohol use will improve the baby’s health and well-being. Tony Loneman, a character in Tommy Orange’s 2018 novel There There, was born with fetal alcohol syndrome, which he calls “the Drome”.