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Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Home > Illnesses and Disabilities Home > Types of Illnesses & Disabilities > Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

If you drink alcohol during pregnancy, your child may develop fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). FAS is a group of problems that can include:

• low intelligence
• reduced growth
• abnormal facial features, such as small eye openings
• birth defects
• being slow to speak and use language
• vision or hearing problems
• poor coordination
• trouble learning, remembering, and paying attention
• hyperactive behavior
• trouble controlling his or her behavior

Children with FAS are at risk for poor school performance, emotional problems, criminal behavior, and unemployment. Special school services can help with learning problems. Having a loving, nurturing, and stable home life can help prevent emotional problems.

FAS is 100 percent preventable! If you do not drink alcohol while pregnant, there is zero chance of your baby having FAS or any alcohol-related problems. If you are sexually active and do not use effective birth control, you should also avoid drinking because you could become pregnant and not know it for several weeks or more.

Additional Resources

Publications

1.   Drinking and Your Pregnancy: When You Are Pregnant, Drinking Can Hurt Your Baby — This brochure explains how alcohol can cause problems during pregnancy and lead to fetal alcohol syndrome. It also provides a list of resources for more information and where to get help.

   http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/fas/fas.htm

2.   Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders — This site contains links to information about fetal alcohol spectrum disorders from the CDC. It links to information for women who are pregnant, toolkits for health providers, and information from the U.S. Surgeon General.

   http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/fas/

3.     Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders — This fact sheet explains the affects of alcohol on the fetus.

   http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/factsheets/fas.pdf

4.   SAMHSA Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) Center for Excellence — This web site provides information and resources about fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). It also provides materials you can use to raise awareness about FASD.

   http://fasdcenter.samhsa.gov/

5. Drinking Alcohol During Pregnancy (Copyright © MOD) — Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can cause physical and mental birth defects. This fact sheet explains the hazards of drinking during pregnancy and breastfeeding, the effects of the father's drinking, and what the March of Dimes is doing to prevent fetal alcohol exposure.

   http://www.marchofdimes.com/professionals/19695_1170.asp

6. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (Copyright © Nemours Foundation) — This fact sheet explains what fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is, the signs and symptoms of FAS, and how to prevent FAS.

   http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/brain/fas.html

7.   Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: A Parent's Guide to Caring for a Child Diagnosed with FAS (Copyright © Wake Forest University Health System) — This booklet is aimed at helping families with a child diagnosed with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). It explains what causes FAS, the symptoms of FAS, statistics, and how you can help your child with FAS reach his or her potential.

   http://otispregnancy.org/pdf/FAS_booklet.pdf

Organizations

1.   National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, CDC
2.   National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information, SAMHSA, HHS
3.   National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, HHS
4. March of Dimes Foundation
5. National Organization of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

= Indicates Federal Resources

Content last updated May 15, 2008.