Foetal alcohol syndrome
What to do if you think yourchild has foetal alcohol syndrome
Speak to your GP or health visitor if you have any concerns about your child's development or think they could have foetal alcohol syndrome.
If the condition isn't diagnosed early on and a child doesn't receive appropriate support , they're more likely to experience challenges associated with the condition.
For example, they may get into trouble at school, have difficulties with learning, misuse drugs or alcohol , develop mental health problems, and find it difficult to get a job and live independently as an adult.
Your doctor or health visitor will need to know if your child was exposed to alcohol during pregnancy to make a diagnosis of foetal alcohol syndrome.
Your child may be referred to a specialist team for an assessment if there's a possibility they have the condition.
This usually involves a physical examination and blood tests to rule out genetic conditions that have similar symptoms to foetal alcohol syndrome.
Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 21 Dec 2018
Introduction
Find out about foetal alcohol syndrome, a range of mental and physical problems that can affect children whose mothers drink alcohol while they're pregnant.
Symptoms of foetal alcohol syndrome
A baby exposed to alcohol in the wombmay have: a head that's smaller than average poor growth they may be smaller than average at birth, grow slowly as they get older, and be shorter than average
What to do if you think yourchild has foetal alcohol syndrome
Speak to your GP or health visitor if you have any concerns about your child's development or think they could have foetal alcohol syndrome. If the condition isn't diagnosed early on and a child does
Treatment and support for foetal alcohol syndrome
There is no particular treatment for foetal alcohol syndrome, and the damage to the child's brain and organs can't be reversed. But an early diagnosis and support can make a big difference. Once the
Preventing foetal alcohol syndrome
Foetal alcohol syndromeis completely avoidable if youdon't drink alcohol while you're pregnant. The risk is higher the more you drink,although there's no proven "safe" level of alcohol in pregnancy.
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