Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)

What is FASD?
FASD is a brain injury that can occur when an unborn baby is exposed to alcohol.  It’s a lifelong disorder with effects that include physical, mental, behavioural and learning disabilities that can vary from mild to severe.  FASD is the leading known cause of preventable developmental disability in Canada. 
Signs and Symptoms
Every unborn baby will be affected by alcohol differently. FASD is often called an invisible disorder because the majority of people with it have no obvious signs of disability. Their learning and behavioural challenges are often mistaken for other problems.
Some babies are born with facial features that are characteristic of FASD. These features are only evident when a fetus is affected by alcohol at a specific stage in pregnancy. Only a small number of people with FASD will have these features. The features include:

• thin upper lip
• little or no groove or ridge between the nose and upper lip
• small eyes or shorter distance between one corner of the eye to the other

For all people with FASD, there will be different degrees of brain damage. These may include problems with:

• learning
• memory
• attention
• language
• social skills
• motor skills
• controlling behaviour
  
• reasoning and judgement
• academics like math and reading
  

In everyday life, problems with behaviours may look like:

• being impulsive
• acting out from frustration
• not understanding consequences
• being unfocused and easily distracted
• difficulties with keeping up with classroom learning
• forgetting how to do something they’ve done before
• a hard time with handling money or learning how to tell time

An early diagnosis followed by the proper interventions and support help to minimize the disabilities associated with FASD.
If you are a patient of the Temagami Family Health Team and are concerned about the possibility of FASD, please call the office at (705) 569-3244 to schedule an appointment with your primary care provider.
 
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