FASD Facts

FETAL ALCOHOL SPECTRUM DISORDERS (FASD)…

Signs and Symptoms

FASDs refer to the whole range of effects that can happen to a person whose mother drank alcohol during pregnancy. These conditions can affect each person in different ways, and range from mild to severe. Less than 15% of those affected with FASD have an external feature that the average person would recognize.

• FASD is the number one cause of preventable birth-defects in the Western Hemisphere.

• The brain injury causes the child a life-time of serious challenges—in the home, schools, and our communities.

• Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is sorely under-diagnosed and very misunderstood by professionals and the public, yet is it conservatively 2% to 5% of our population — more prevalent than Autism.

• 1 in 20 kids going into kindergarten are reported to have FASD, according to the CDC.

A person with an FASD might have:

• Abnormal facial features, such as a smooth ridge between the nose and upper lip (this ridge is called the philtrum)

• Small head size

• Shorter-than-average height

• Low body weight

• Poor coordination

• Hyperactive behavior

• Difficulty with attention

• Poor memory

• Difficulty in school (especially with math)

• Learning disabilities

• Speech and language delays

• Intellectual disability or low IQ

• Poor reasoning and judgment skills

• Sleep and sucking problems as a baby

• Vision or hearing problems

• Problems with the heart, kidneys, or bones

  TO LEARN MORE:
  https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/fasd/facts.html