Cause: any type of maternal exposure to alcohol can cause FHS
- When women consume alcohol when they are pregnant, the alcohol can easily pass through the placenta and to the fetus, which can cause tremendous damage. Although consumption of alcohol can be most damaging within the first three months of pregnancy, any amount of drinking during any time of pregnancy can be harmful to the baby
- The minimum amount of alcohol consumption that can produce fetal alcohol deficits is still unknown
- Vulnerability to a given alcohol level varies from person to person due to a mother’s genetic factors, nutritional status, environmental factors and maternal age
Characteristics: The severity of FAS ranges from person to person, however most babies with FAS will show one or more of the following symptoms:
- delayed and poor prenatal and postnatal growth
- decreased muscle tone and coordination
- delayed cognitive development
- heart defects
- facial abnormalities
Specific Cognitive Impairments with FAS:
- verbal learning
- visual-spatial learning
- attention
- reaction-time
- executive functions
- mental retardation--FAS is the most common non-hereditary cause of mental retardation