Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

1. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Robin Jones Georgann Kennay

2. What is Fetal Alcohol Syndrome? • Prenatal exposure to alcohol. • Lifelong physically and mentally disabling condition. • Not a single birth defect, but a cluster. • http://departments.weber.edu/chfam/html/fas.html

3. What Causes FAS? • Mother drinks too much during pregnancy. • Alcohol is able to cross the placenta. • Fetus does not receive enough oxygen.

4. Prevalence of FAS • Every year 1 in 750 babies are born with full blown FAS. • Another 50,000 children are born with Fetal Alcohol Effects. (FAE)

5. Diagnosis • Based on the evaluation of physical characteristics. • No actual psychological or behavioral tools to diagnose, but these types of tools can be used to corroborate medical opinion.

6. Characteristics that must be present… • Growth deficiency • Pattern of facial features and other physical abnormalities • Central Nervous System dysfunction • Strong evidence of maternal drinking (No diagnosis can be made without this evidence.) • FAE-Fetal Alcohol Effects

7. Physical Characteristics • Small head • Small for age • Deformed facial features • Abnormal joints and limbs • http://www.childstudy.org/fas/facies/ • http://w3.ouhsc.edu/fas/

8. Additional Characteristics • Growth deficiencies • Central Nervous System Problems • Poor Coordination • Problems with learning • Short memory

9. Instructional Ideas • Early intervention • Functional skills • Communication skills • Social skills • Manage behaviors

10. Technology • Tape Recorders • Computers • Video Recordings • Visuals

11. Interesting Information • Completely preventable disease • Surgeon General issued the first advisory against alcohol in 1981 • Alcohol use by pregnant women has declined since 1995 • FAS is recognized as a leading cause of Mental Retardation (Burgess & Stroissguth, 1992)

12. Kleinfield, J. & Wescott, S. (1996). Fantastic Antone succeeds: Experiences in educating children with fetal alcohol syndrome. Fairbanks, AL : University of Alaska Press. Streissguth, A. & Kantor, J. (1997). The challenge of fetal alcohol syndrome: Overcoming secondary disabilities. Seattle, WA: University of Washington Press. Streissguth, A. (1997). Fetal alcohol syndrome: A guide for families and communities. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes. http://www.worldprofit.com/other.htm http://www.acbr.com/fas/index.htm Center for Disease Control and Prevention http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/fas/ The Mayo Clinic http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm? Kids Health for Parents http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/brain/fas.html Additional Resources

13. Sources of Information • Burgess, D. & Strissguth, A. (1992). Fetal alcohol syndrome and fetal alcohol effects: principles for educators. Phi Delta Kaappan, v74n1, 24-30. • Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse. As a matter of fact: Fetal alcohol syndrome. Retrieved May 17, 2004 from www.well.com/use/woa/fsfas.htm • National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities. Fetal alcohol syndrome. Retrieved May 17, 2004 from http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/fas/fasprev.htm • Weber State University-Department of Child & Family Studies http://departments.weber.edu/chfam/html/fas.html • A Pregnant Pause from http://w3.ouhsc.edu/fas/ • Fetal Alcohol Syndrome http://www2.potsdam.edu/alcohol-info/FAS/FAS.html#Note1 • Children’s Research Triangle from http://www.childstudy.org/fas/facies/