That is not a pretty picture. I included that on purpose instead of a picture of a baby with FAS, what you often see on web pages like these. Babies are cute. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome isn't.

Mothers who drank heavily during pregnancy tend to have children with damaged brain structures and functions. FAS may result in one or more disabilities, such as mental retardation, learning disabilities, depression, attention deficit disorder, hearing impairments, or speech and language disorders. Secondary conditions due to alcohol-related brain damage may include mental health problems, disrupted school experience, trouble with the law, confinement, inappropriate sexual behavior, alcohol and drug problems, unemployment, and difficulties with living independently. For people with FAS, it is the secondary conditions that most negatively impact their lives.

FAS, FAE or FASD - Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Fetal Alcohol Effect or Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder are all different diagnoses for children who are impaired due to being exposed to alcohol in the womb. These problems come from changes alcohol causes in the structure of the brain. Babies with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome do not “grow out of it”. They will have problems throughout life.

QUICK FACTS ABOUT FAS/ FAE
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is the number one preventable cause of mental retardation. FAS occurs when a pregnant women drinks during pregnancy resulting in serious damage to her unborn baby.

The seriousness of the damage to the child depends on several factors such as

• how much alcohol the mother drank,
• at what stage of pregnancy she drank it and,
• how often she drank.

The most serious result of drinking during pregnancy is Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.

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