Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder

intellectual or behavioral problems

incidence

.2-1.5 infants in every 1000 births

Co-morbidities of FAS

ADHD conduct disorder drug/alcohol abuse mental health disorders inappropriate behaviors

Clinical Features of FAS

CNS: intellectual disability, behavior problems, poor coordination, problems with sight/hearing, poor memory, slowed growth throughout life Physical: small head, short palpebral fissures, ptosis, epicanthic folds, short upturned nosse, long smooth philthrum, thin upper lip, small jaw

Etiology of FAS

alcohol enters the blood stream, crosses the placenta to the fetuses system fetal metabolism is much slower so it takes away from nutrition and oxygen reaching the baby's vital organs (brain)

Diagnostic Tests of FAS

cant be done before birth chromosomal analysis to rule out other disorders optical coherence tomography to quantify heart defects diffusion tensor imaging to evaluate the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure to the brain

Pathophysiology of FAS

ethyl alcohol disrupts DNA and protein synthesis--> prevents cell migration metabolism of carbs, proteins, and fats is disturbed amino acids, glucose, folic acid and zinc can't be transferred HPA acis is affects so less effective reactions to stress

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Definition

growth, mental and physical impairments that may occur in a baby when a women consumes alcohol during pregnancy especially when it occurs in the first trimester

Fetal Alcohol Effects

have every impairment but the facial features

FAS

most severe type with both neurodevelopmental and physical impairments

Alcohol-related birth defects

physical defects and signs

CNS damage with FAS

poor memory, attention deficits, impulsive behaviors, poor reasoning skills Impaired hippocampus dendrites reduced cerebellar size decreased size of corpus callosum

Partial FAS

presence of some of the S/S but not meeting diagnostic criteria