Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders: Extending the Range of Structural Defects PMC

fasd ears

Her applied research focus includes assessment of the effects of environmental and therapeutic ototoxic agents in children, whereas her basic research assesses the influence of these agents on the development of the auditory system in the frog model. A structured protocol was used for assessment of specific dysmorphologic features that drunken baby syndrome constitute FAS. Palpebral fissure length (PFL) was measured with a rigid ruler marked in millimeters. Age-specific centiles for height, weight, OFC and PFL were determined using previously published charts (Kuczmarski et al., 2000; Thomas et al., 1987; Tanner, 1978; Nelllhaus, 1968).

Alcohol use during pregnancy

fasd ears

Modification of gut microbiota by alcohol may influence brain development through the action of circulating microbial by-products. Collectively, these actions of alcohol result in altered neural circuits and decreased neuronal plasticity. If you’re currently pregnant and drinking alcohol, stop immediately to try to lower the risk of FAS. A hierarchy of strategies can be used to prevent fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), ranging from awareness campaigns for the whole population to health, educational and social support for women and children. The strategies are placed in the context of cultural, political and environmental factors that influence access to, use of and attitudes towards alcohol use in pregnant women.

Human and Animal Participants

fasd ears

2 identifies methods to manage the same vulnerabilities based on understanding the individual and using anticipatory interventions to support development. Pharmacological interventions for FASD are widely used and include medications, such as cognitive enhancers, to treat core impairments and medications to treat comorbidities, including ADHD, anxiety, and arousal or sleep disorders253. For example, an individual who has experienced trauma but has normal intelligence and social and emotional skills requires a trauma-informed, emotion-focused approach. All procedures followed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (institutional and national) and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2000 (5). Informed consent was obtained from all patients for being included in the study. In 2019, CDC researchers found that 1 in 9 pregnant people drank alcohol in a 30-day period of time.

Diagnostic challenges

After delivery, you should continue to pay attention to when you drink alcohol if you’re breastfeeding your baby. Talk to your child’s healthcare provider about the best practices for alcohol use during breastfeeding, but the general rule is to wait at least two hours after having one drink before nursing your baby or pumping your milk. Parental training is meant to help parents to help families cope with behavioral, educational and social challenges.

fasd ears

Neural crest contributions to the ear: implications for congenital hearing disorders

However, this approach is expensive, time consuming and unavailable to many children worldwide. Often, children present first to family physicians, paediatricians and psychologists who lack sufficient expertise to confidently diagnose FASD. Thus, education and training are urgently needed to increase the capacity for recognition of FASD outside specialist FASD assessment services51,162 and to address its underdiagnosis and misdiagnosis163,164. Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is a condition that develops in a fetus (developing baby) when a pregnant person drinks alcohol during pregnancy.