FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME (FAS)

1. ABHILASHA CHAUDHARY

2. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders
(FASD)
• Prenatal exposures to alcohol cause wide
range of disorders
• One of the most severe effects of drinking is
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS)

4. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
• Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is a birth defect
caused by drinking alcohol during pregnancy
• One of the most severe defects for a fetus
• Leading known preventable cause of mental
retardation/other birth defects

5. • Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2013 Apr 16;10(4):1547-61. doi: 10.3390/ijerph10041547.
• Prevalence of fetal alcohol syndrome and maternal characteristics in a sample of schoolchildren from a rural
province of croatia.
• hildren's Hospital Srebrnjak, Srebrnjak 100, Zagreb 10000, Croatia. gigi.petkovic@
Abstract
• Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is a congenital syndrome caused by maternal alcohol consumption
during pregnancy and is entirely preventable by abstinence from alcohol drinking during this time.
Little is known about the prevalence of FAS and maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy in
Western countries. We present the results of FAS/partial fetal alcohol syndrome (PFAS) prevalence
study and maternal characteristics in a sample of schoolchildren from a rural province of Croatia.
This study involved seven elementary schools with 1,110 enrolled children attending 1st to 4th
grade and their mothers. We used an active case ascertainment method with passive parental
consent and Clarified IOM criteria. The investigation protocol involved maternal data collection and
clinical examination of children. Out of 1,110 mothers, 917 (82.6%) answered the
questionnaire. Alcoholexposure during pregnancy was admitted by 11.5%, regular drinking by 4.0%
and binge drinking by 1.4% of questioned mothers. Clinical examination involved 824 (74.2%)
schoolchildren and disclosed 14 (1.7%) with clinical signs of FAS and 41 (5.0%) of PFAS. The
observed FAS prevalence, based on 74.2% participation rate, was 16.9, PFAS 49.7 and combined
prevalence was 66.7/1,000 examined schoolchildren. This is the first FAS prevalence study based
on active ascertainment among schoolchildren and pregnancy alcohol drinking analysis performed
in a rural community of Croatia and Europe. High prevalence of FAS/PFAS and
pregnancy alcohol consumption observed in this study revealed that FAS is serious health
problem in rural regions as well as a need to develop future studies and preventive measures for
pregnancy alcohol drinking and FASD.

6. HOW DOES IT
OCCUR?

8. SIGN AND SYMPTOMS

9. Facial Characteristics
• Low nasal bridge
• Short nose
• Indistinct philtrum
(groove between nose
and upper lip)
• Small head circumference
• Small eye opening
• Small midface
• Thin upper lip.

10. Growth Deficiency Characteristics
• Small size for gestational
age or small stature in
relation to peers
• Small head or
facial/dental anomalies
• Heart defects or other
organ dysfunction
• Deformities of joints,
limbs, and fingers
• Vision or hearing
problems.

11. Central Nervous System
Characteristics
• Poor coordination
• Hyperactive behavior
• Learning disabilities
• Developmental disabilities
(for example, speech and
language delays)
• Mental retardation or low IQ
• Problems with daily living
• Poor reasoning and judgment
skills
• Sleep and sucking
disturbances in infancy.

12. DIAGNOSTIC CRITERIA
• The following criteria must be fully met for an FAS
diagnosis
• Growth deficiency — Prenatal or postnatal height or
weight (or both) at or below the 10th percentile
• FAS facial features — All three FAS facial features
present
• Central nervous system damage — Clinically significant
structural, neurological, or functional impairment
• Prenatal alcohol exposure — Confirmed or Unknown
prenatal alcohol exposure

13. PREVENTION
• The only certain way to prevent FAS is to
simply avoid drinking alcohol during
pregnancy

14. TREATMENT
Medical
Care
Medicatio
n
Behavior
and
Education
Therapy
Parent

15. MEDICAL CARE
• Pediatrician
• Primary care provider
• Otolaryngologist
• Audiologist
• Immunologist
• Neurologist
• Mental health professionals
(child psychiatrist and
psychologist, school
psychologist, behavior
management specialist)
• Opthalmologist
• Plastic surgeon
• Endocrinologist
• Gastroenterologist
• Nutritionist
• Geneticist
• Speech-language
pathologist
• Occupational therapist
• Physical therapist

16. MEDICATIONS
• No medications have been approved specifically to
treat FASDs. But, several medications can help
improve some of the symptoms of FASDs.
• Stimulants
Hyperactivity, problems paying attention, and poor
impulse control, as well as other behavior issues.
• Antidepressants
sad mood, loss of interest, sleep problems, school
disruption, negativity, irritability, aggression, and
anti-social behaviors.

17. • Neuroleptics
aggression, anxiety, and certain other
behavior problems.
• Anti-anxiety drugs
symptoms of anxiety.

18. BEHAVIOUR AND EDUCATION
THERAPY
Friendship training Specialized math
tutoring
Executive
functioning
training

19. Parent-child interaction
therapy
Parenting and behavior
management training

20. PARENT TRAINING
• Concentrate on your child's
strengths and talents
• Accept your child's
limitations
• Be consistent with
everything (discipline,
school, behaviors)
• Use concrete language and
examples
• Use stable routines that do
not change daily

21. • Keep it simple
• Be specific-say exactly what you mean
• Structure your child's world to provide a
foundation for daily living
• Use visual aides, music, and hands-on activities to
help your child learn
• Use positive reinforcement often (praise,
incentives)
• Supervise: friends, visits, routines
• Repeat, repeat, repeat

22. THANK YOU