Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is a life-long birth defect caused by the maternal consumption of alcohol during pregnancy. Damage to the developing child can occur in varying degrees, with FAS being the most severe (see http://www.theuniversityhospital.com/healthlink/archives/articles/fas.html). Children born with FAS typically appear with clear evidence of anatomical abnormality, but for some, the diagnosis of FAS may not be possible before the eighth month. In addition to the major signs detailed below many children with FAS may be born with heart and kidney defects, problems with bones and joints, and other physical defects. See http://www.nofas.org/family.The most common expressions of these abnormalities include:

Growth retardation: Children with FAS are typically very small at birth and usually remain so throughout life. See http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/fas/fasask.htm and http://www.nofas.org/ for more information.

Facial abnormalities: Children with FAS typically present with 1) small, widely spaced eyes, 2) a smooth philtrum (that is, no groove between the nose and upper lip),and 3) a thin upper lip. See http://www.theuniversityhospital.com/healthlink/archives/articles/fas.htm and http://www.wcox.com.au/alcohol.htm for more information.

Central Nervous System Abnormalities: Children with FAS typically present with signs of mental retardation, developmental delays, hyperactivity, perceptual problems, poor coordination, and learning difficulties. See http://www.come-over.to/FAS/FASbrain.htm and http://www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/fetal/summary.html for more information.

The "classical FAS" diagnosis represents only a portion of the larger number of children who have been prenatally-exposed to alcohol, with the larger portion identified by the terms Alcohol Related Birth Defects (ARBD), Alcohol Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder (ARND), and Fetal Alcohol Effects (FAE). The generally accepted diagnostic label is FASD, and while there is no precise set of measurements for the diagnosis of FASD, the term describes deficits that are less obvious, and less severe, than those of FAS. In April, 2004, the National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (NOFAS) hosted a summit to discuss a consensus term for all disorders resulting from prenatal alcohol exposure. This summit resulted in the development of the term Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disoders. The definition is as follows: Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) is an umbrella term describing the range of effects that can occur in an individual whose mother drank alcohol during pregnancy. These effects may include physical, mental, behavioral and/or learning disabilities with possible lifelong implications.

The child with FASD typically demonstrates a wide range of behavioral and learning difficulties, as well as varying degrees of developmental delays, but typically does not present with the craniofacial features described above for FAS and may not be classified with mental retardation. The subtlety of these behavioral and learning difficulties often result in the child being considered as disinterested and unmotivated to perform in school, and hence the necessary educational and behavioral supports needed to compensate for the difficulties are not provided. Some of these difficulties are often expressed as the behaviors identified in the table below. See http://www.nofas.org/living/.