Neonatal alcohol syndrome

was first described in 1973. This diagnosis is made with the following symptoms: weight deficiency, growth deficiency, nervous system disorders, mental development disorders, disorders in the structure of the face, heart disease, kidney disease, urinary tract disease. If only some of the above symptoms are detected, it makes sense to talk about “fetal alcohol effect” (FAE), prenatal alcohol effect (PAE), alcohol-related birth defects (ADBD) and alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorders (ADNDD). For all these conditions, a collective term has been introduced – “spectrum of fetal alcohol disorders” (SFAD).

Children diagnosed with FAS

Symptoms of alcohol damage: neurological symptoms, growth retardation, small head size and neurodevelopmental disorders, eye damage. Children with this diagnosis in most cases have problems at school, which are associated with difficulties in social adaptation and learning. Special scientific tests show in such children a slow reaction time, loss of concentration, hyperactivity, and, if the damage is severe, even delayed intellectual development. Already at school, learning problems, memory deficits, attention deficits begin to emerge, and if the case is severe, intellectual deficits and antisocial behavior begin to emerge. Over time, a significant proportion of these children begin to experience difficulties with social adaptation. The percentage of people who suffer from alcohol or drug addiction among them is very high.

It is a big mistake to assume that only women who suffer from chronic alcoholism are at risk of having a child with FAS. In medicine, cases of such disorders are described among children of socially successful women who drink alcohol only occasionally.

Alcohol syndrome risk group test:

  1. How much alcohol can you tolerate?

    2. For a positive answer, 2 points are awarded. The following answers are considered positive: 1 bottle of wine, 6 cans of beer or 6 cocktails, which most likely indicates a long history of drinking alcoholic beverages.

  2. Do you feel irritated when others criticize you for drinking?

    3. For a positive answer, 1 point is awarded;

  3. Have you felt the need to stop drinking alcohol?

    4. For a positive answer, 1 point is awarded;

  4. Is it possible that you take alcohol in the morning to calm down or improve your health?

    5. For a positive answer, 1 point is awarded;

    The risk group includes those women who scored 2 or more bels according to the results of this survey.

  5. What amount of alcohol for a pregnant woman is considered excessive and can cause the formation of PAR?

It is currently believed that the risk of developmental abnormalities in a fetus carried by a drinking mother depends on a large number of reasons. Namely:

  • Amount of alcohol consumed per day;
  • Regularity of alcohol consumption;
  • Alcohol consumption prior to pregnancy;
  • Features of ethanol metabolism in the mother’s body;
  • Individual hereditary sensitivity of the fetus;

Since all these factors interact with each other, it is quite difficult to assess the risk in a specific situation, so the general recommendation for pregnant women and women planning pregnancy is complete abstinence from drinking alcohol.

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