What is the prevalence of fetal alcohol syndrome?
Using medical and other records, CDC studies have identified 0.2 to 1.5 infants with FAS for every 1,000 live births in certain areas of the United States. The most recent CDC study analyzed medical and other records and found FAS in 0.3 out of 1,000 children from 7 to 9 years of age.
Who is more at risk for fetal alcohol syndrome?
Women who often binge drink or drink heavily in the three months prior to becoming pregnant tend to be at a higher risk of having a child with FASD. Studies have shown that many of these women use contraceptives less regularly and seek prenatal care later than their non-drinking counterparts.
Why is the range of estimates of FAS prevalence so wide?
Estimates of the prevalence of FAS vary greatly from population to population and from study to study. Some of this variation is a valid reflection of the differences in FAS rates between populations, each of which may possess a number of unique risk factors, especially variations in maternal drinking behavior.
How is fetal alcohol syndrome diagnosed?
Diagnosing FASD can be hard because there is no specific test for it. The health care provider will make a diagnosis by looking at the child’s signs and symptoms and asking whether the mother drank alcohol during pregnancy. FASDs last a lifetime. There is no cure for FASDs, but treatments can help.
What is the difference between FAS and FAE?
Prenatal exposure to alcohol can cause a range of disorders known as Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs). The most severe effects of this disorder are called Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). If only some of the clinical signs of prenatal exposure to alcohol are present, the term Fetal Alcohol Effects (FAE) is used.
What are three symptoms that might occur in a baby born with fetal alcohol syndrome?
Symptoms
- Distinctive facial features, including small eyes, an exceptionally thin upper lip, a short, upturned nose, and a smooth skin surface between the nose and upper lip.
- Deformities of joints, limbs and fingers.
- Slow physical growth before and after birth.
- Vision difficulties or hearing problems.
Where is FAS common?
Of 187 countries, South Africa was estimated to have the highest prevalence of FASD at 111.1 per 1000 population (95% CI, 71.1-158.4 per 1000 population), followed by Croatia at 53.3 per 1000 population (95% CI, 30.9-81.2 per 1000 population) and Ireland at 47.5 per 1000 population (95% CI, 28.0-73.6 per 1000 …