Questions and Answers about FAS

This page was created to answer the basic questions about Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.

Question: What is Fetal Alcohol Syndrome?

Answer: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) happens when a mother drinks too much alcohol when she is pregnant. The alcohol gets into the pregnant woman's bloodstream, which is crossing with the placenta, and circulates to the fetus. The alcohol inteferes with the fetus's ability to recieve oxygen and nourishment for normal cell development within the brain and other organs.

Question: What are the possible physical characteristics of babies born with FAS?

Answer: The possible physical deformities of FAS babies are as follows: lower birth weight (as well as small body weight throughout the rest of their life),smaller head size, small body size, drooping eyelids, short eye openings, a short upturned nose, smooth area between the nose and mouth, flat midface and thin upper lip, small jaw, and low-set or poorly formed ears.

Question: Are there other possible deformities of the body?

Answer: Yes. The child is also likely to suffer from heart defects, heart murmurs, a smaller brain, kidney and urinary defects, dental anomalies, minor limb and joint abnormalities, vision and hearing problems, and genital malformations. In addition to these physical problems the child can also have severe learning problems, and problems with social skills.

Question: What kind of learning limitations could the child have?

Answer: Children with FAS can have a range of mental incapabilites. They range from metal retardation (usually mild or moderate, but occasionally severe), to just having a short attention span. They are also known to have hyperactivity, poor body, hand and eye coordination, mental health problems, be disruptive in school, short memories, inappropriate sexual behavior, and an array of learning disabilities. Socially the child can be very outgoing, but can be seen by others as intrusive, overly talkative, have poor social skills, trouble establishing friendships, hungry for attention, and have poor judgement.

Question: Who is likely to be affected by FAS?

Answer: All social classes can be equally affected by FAS. All society.

Question: How much drinking is too much?

Answer: This has been a controversial question. Since there are many different studies still being done, there is no complete answer to this question. To be one-hundred percent certain that this will not happen to your child, the pregnant woman should just abstain from all drinking.

This page submitted by: Ann Reilly