Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is a preventable group of developmental disorders that results from the exposure of a fetus to alcohol. The disorders that make up FASD include Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), Partial FAS, Alcohol-Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder (ARND), and Alcohol-Related Birth Defects (ARBD). FAS is the most well-known of the disorders because it causes classic craniofacial dysmorphologies and growth deficiency. However, other disorders in the spectrum may not show these physical characteristics, making a diagnosis difficult. Diagnosis involves a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach that includes a history, physical examination, and neurodevelopmental assessment.
Depending on the timing and pattern of alcohol consumption during pregnancy, FASD can manifest with varying symptoms, and individuals with FASD may be diagnosed with other disorders such as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or oppositional defiant disorder (ODD). Despite these variations, all individuals with FASD can suffer from central nervous system dysfunction and secondary effects such as behavioural and neuropsychological dysfunction.
In addition, there have been 428 other conditions identified that can co-occur with FASD, affecting almost every body system, including circulation, digestion, hearing, musculoskeletal, cardiac, and respiratory (Popova et al., 2016).
FAS is the major cause of birth defects in the Western world, yet it accounts for only 10% of all cases of FASD. It is more common than autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, Down Syndrome, or Tourette’s Syndrome (CanFASD, 2018).
FASD is a preventable disorder, as there is no known safe level of alcohol consumption during pregnancy, so it is recommended that pregnant women do not consume any alcohol.
Sources:
CanFASD Blog. 2018, Oct. 9. How common is FASD? The Canadian FASD Research Network. www.canfasd.ca.
Popova, S., Lange, S., Shield, K., Mihic, A., Chudley, A.E., Mukherjee, R.A.S., Bekmuradov, D., Rehm, J. 2016. Comorbidity of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis. The Lancet 387 (10022): 978–987.