Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

What Are the Types of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders?

The term fetal alcohol spectrum disorders refers to a range of physical, cognitive, and behavioral abnormalities caused by prenatal alcohol exposure. Depending on the features identified, the disorders categorized as FASD15,16 include:

• Fetal alcohol syndrome

• Partial fetal alcohol syndrome

• Alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder

• Alcohol-related birth defects

• Neurobehavioral disorder associated with prenatal alcohol exposure

Prenatal alcohol exposure and central nervous system (CNS) involvement are factors common to the disorders encompassing FASD. Evidence of CNS involvement can be structural (e.g., small brain size, alterations in specific brain regions) or functional (e.g., cognitive and behavioral deficits, motor and coordination problems). For fetal alcohol syndrome—which is also characterized by growth deficiencies, distinct facial features, and other physical factors in addition to CNS involvement—confirmation of prenatal alcohol exposure is not required.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Understanding Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders | National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) (nih.gov)