Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS): symptoms and treatment

A healthy lifestyle of the mother throughout the pregnancy is essential to guarantee the correct development of the fetus and a good quality of the baby's health. Therefore, certain toxic habits such as alcohol and tobacco can cause serious complications in the child's growth.

In the case of alcoholic habits or behaviors, consuming this type of drink can have serious consequences such as fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). Throughout this article, we will talk about its characteristics and symptoms, as well as its diagnosis and possible treatment.

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What is fetal alcohol syndrome?

Fetal alcohol syndrome is a condition that is categorized within fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). This spectrum refers to a group of diseases or conditions that can appear in those cases in which the mother consumed certain amounts of alcohol during pregnancy, causing a series of physical and mental consequences in the baby.

These disorders are characterized by presenting

a series of physical, mental, behavioral and cognitive abnormalities in babies who suffer from themSince the alcohol consumed by the mother is transferred to the child's bloodstream.

In the specific case of fetal alcohol syndrome, this is considered the most serious or harmful condition within the entire spectrum of alterations or abnormalities caused by exposure to alcohol during fetal development, regardless of fetal death itself from alcoholism.

Babies diagnosed with fetal alcohol syndrome usually have a series of pathological physical features such as deformation of facial features, alterations in growth or problems in the development of the central nervous system.

These irregularities in the fetal growth process have as the main psychological consequence the appearance of difficulties in the learning and alterations in memory processes, communication skills, attention, as well as sensory difficulties at the visual or auditory. The alterations also pose a risk of social exclusion for these children, since school and integration problems are usually common.

Regarding the incidence of this syndrome, the exposure of the fetus to certain levels of alcohol is the main cause of intellectual functional diversity in developed countries, well above genetic alterations.

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What symptoms does it present?

As described above, fetal alcohol syndrome is distinguished by presenting a series of physical or visible symptoms, as well as organic or related to the neurological development of the baby.

The clinical picture of APS is classified into three different groups of symptoms. Those related to craniofacial anomalies, alterations in the central nervous system and a delay in general development.

1. Craniofacial abnormalities

There are a number of characteristic physical features that distinguish children with a diagnosis of fetal alcohol syndrome. These are:

• Flat nasal filter or flattening of the space between the nose and the upper lip.
• Narrowing of the upper lip.
• Decreased size of the palpebral fissures or abnormally small eyes.

2. Central nervous system disorders

Problems or abnormalities in the development of the central nervous system can manifest themselves to different degrees, depending on the amount of alcohol to which the fetus has been exposed. These damages can be divided into three different planes:

• Alterations in the formation of the anatomical structure, usually expressed in the form of microcephaly or in irregularities in the formation of different brain areas.
• Pathologies associated with neurological functioning such as seizures and spasms, coordination problems or sensory difficulties such as visual and hearing difficulties.
• Alterations in intellectual functioning manifested in the form of behavioral disorders, self-control problems, attention problems and hyperactivity, intellectual functional diversity, lack of social skills, memory problems, etc.

3. Widespread developmental delay

It manifests itself in the form of pathologies related to the weight and height of the baby. Which tend to be below the average for children born healthy.

What causes does it have?

The main and only cause of fetal alcohol syndrome is found in alcohol consumption by the mother throughout the pregnancy. The alcohol present in drinks can pass into the bloodstream of the fetus through the placenta, causing all kinds of interference and alterations in its development.

Although it has not yet been possible to reliably establish from what level of consumption the first symptoms appear, it is has determined that the greater the amount of alcohol consumed by the mother, the greater the number of symptoms, and the more severe, it will cause baby.

In the same way, the stage of pregnancy in which it occurs in consumption is also decisive, since consuming alcoholic beverages throughout the first trimester is even more dangerous than doing it at any other stage.

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How can it be diagnosed?

In those cases in which the medical professional suspects that the possibility of fetal alcohol syndrome may exist, there are a series of tests that can be carried out to confirm the diagnosis:

• Evaluation of the state of the heart that reveals any cardiac abnormality.
• Testing of the mother's blood alcohol levels, provided she shows signs of intoxication.
• Neuroimaging tests such as CT scans or MRIs after the baby is born.
• Ultrasound tests during pregnancy.

Is there a treatment?

Because the injuries caused to the baby are permanent and irreversible, it has not been possible to develop a treatment with the ability to reverse these symptoms. However, the prognosis or intensity of treatment will depend on the severity of the symptoms.

As a consequence, the intervention protocol is usually limited to the treatment of those cognitive symptoms such as inattention or special educational needs, in order to facilitate the child's school and social adjustment and, as a consequence, to improve as much as possible their quality of life.