{"id":4978,"date":"2019-03-14T08:45:39","date_gmt":"2019-03-14T08:45:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.io\/?p=4978"},"modified":"2021-05-28T17:03:43","modified_gmt":"2021-05-28T17:03:43","slug":"10-characteristics-of-a-child-with-fetal-alcohol-syndrome","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.io\/10-characteristics-of-a-child-with-fetal-alcohol-syndrome\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Characteristics of a Child With Fetal Alcohol Syndrome"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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There are few things more detrimental to the development of a fetus than alcohol consumption. Along with drug use and smoking, alcohol is one of the most damaging things to the developmental process of your child. As such, doctors will discourage drinking in pregnant women. There are many things that could go wrong with the developmental process of your baby if you drink alcohol, and one such issue is known as fetal alcohol syndrome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are many things that will tell you and your doctor whether or not your child has fetal alcohol syndrome. Today we\u2019re going to go over the eight most common characteristics of children who suffer from fetal alcohol syndrome. Bear in mind the fact that these are not the only characteristics or symptoms, just some of the most common ones. Even if your child only has one of these symptoms, it\u2019s imperative that you get them tested on the off chance that it is fetal alcohol syndrome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Small head<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One of the most common symptoms that you\u2019ll find in children with fetal alcohol syndrome is an irregularly small head. This is likely due to the fact that alcohol impairs the growth process while the fetus <\/a>is in the womb leading to a smaller head size upon birth in comparison to most other babies. When the mother drinks alcohol during pregnancy, nutrients have a tougher getting to the fetus which leads to growth deficiencies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some scientists have also suggested that the unusually small cranial size might be due to the fact that the fetus isn\u2019t getting enough oxygen \u2014 seeing alcohol consumption in pregnant mothers also impairs the oxygen flow to the fetus. It\u2019s important to note that other diseases such as the Zika virus could also lead to small heads, so you can\u2019t diagnose fetal alcohol syndrome based on this characteristic alone. The best thing to do is to get a proper checkup with your pediatrician.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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2. Heart problems<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Most children with fetal alcohol syndrome will also develop heart problems. Some of the children will develop these heart problems at birth while others only develop them later in life \u2014 sometimes even in adulthood or seniority. There have been countless studies tying heart problems to alcohol consumption during gestation<\/a>. Doctors have explored the possibility that these heart issues are a result of both the lack of oxygen as well as nutrition during the pregnancy due to the consumption of alcohol. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some babies with more severe cases of fetal alcohol syndrome don\u2019t make it past infancy due to their heart issues. There have even been some reports of newborn babies dying shortly after birth due to cardiac arrest caused by fetal alcohol syndrome. This is another reason why it\u2019s so important for pregnant women to not drink alcohol. The consumption of liquor isn\u2019t worth it when you consider the fact that you could cost your child decades of their life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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3. Cognitive issues<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Various cognitive issues could also develop in babies that have fetal alcohol syndrome. This could range from learning disabilities to a deficiency <\/a>in comprehending language. You have to bear in mind that a great deal of cognitive development occurs prior to the birth of your baby. This includes the initial formation of the brain. While it\u2019s true that your child learns things after being born, that doesn\u2019t change the fact that there is development in their body during gestation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That being the case, it\u2019s important that they get enough nutrients and oxygen during the formation of their brain to ensure that they develop fully and do not fall victim to any of these disabilities. There are other things that could cognitive issues and learning disabilities, but fetal alcohol syndrome is one of the most obvious as these symptoms will often come with the other characteristics of the condition such as small heads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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4. Lack of coordination<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Seeing as the ability to coordinate along with motor skills<\/a> are dependent on the healthy development of the fetal brain during gestation, children who suffer from fetal alcohol syndrome might have below-average or even poor coordination. This will likely be seen early on when the child starts working. You\u2019ll notice that your child will constantly stumble and fall despite practice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While it\u2019s true that all children undergo this stage of walking during the early phases of their learning, you\u2019ll notice that their poor coordination persists through time despite constant practice and advancement of age. As older children, they may have difficulty balancing \u2014 appearing clumsy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They might also have trouble writing or typing as these skills require hand-eye coordination. It\u2019s worth noting that not all children with poor coordination have fetal alcohol syndrome. Before jumping to conclusions, it would be wise to first visit an optometrist. Perhaps your child is struggling with coordination due to poor eyesight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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5. Impaired senses<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Many children who have fetal alcohol syndrome will also have below-average senses. The two senses that are most often affected by fetal alcohol syndrome are sight and hearing. Both of these senses require fully developed and functioning brains<\/a>, so any developmental setbacks caused by alcohol during the gestation period could impact these symptoms negatively later in life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rarely, some children have also shown poor ability in things like taste, touch, or smell. The senses of sight and hearing are much more prominently affected in children with fetal alcohol syndrome though than the other senses. It\u2019s worth noting that there are more than five senses. One of these senses often not listed as one of the main five is kinesthesis \u2014 the ability to know where your body is. The impairment of this sense is what leads to poor coordination as we mentioned above.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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6. Hyperactivity and mood swings<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Various mental issues such as hyperactivity <\/a>and mood swings have been attributed to fetal alcohol syndrome. This is likely due to the fact that both the frontal lobe and the amygdala are underdeveloped in children with this syndrome leading to irregularities in the mood and attention span of your child. It\u2019s worth noting that many other things can cause these issues, but fetal alcohol syndrome is one of the more common causes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If your child is both hyperactive and shares other characteristics on this list such as a small head or heart problems, then you may be dealing with a case of fetal alcohol syndrome. There have also been studies showing that judgment is impaired in those with fetal alcohol syndrome. As a result, those with fetal alcohol syndrome will often make bad choices and rash decisions. This is likely due to underdeveloped gray mater and\/or overdeveloped white mater.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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7. Renal complications<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There have also been studies suggesting the alcohol fetal syndrome could lead to kidney issues early in life \u2014 even during infancy. There are two theories as to why this occurs, and it\u2019s highly probable that they\u2019re both correct. Alcohol consumption during gestation is suspected to negatively impact the development of the kidneys <\/a>leading to underdeveloped organs that are less suited to filter out toxins in the body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The second theory is that the alcohol consumed actually makes its way into the kidneys of the fetus while they are still developing leading to damage before birth even occurs. Many doctors agree that both theories are likely true. Some reports have even said that babies went into total renal failure just a few hours or days after being born due to fetal alcohol syndrome. Some with fetal alcohol syndrome make it to adulthood but then later develop renal issues as they get older.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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8. Short height or excessive thinness<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Other characteristics of those with fetal alcohol syndrome include short height and excessive thinness. There are many things that can cause these issues to occur in those with fetal alcohol syndrome. One study explored the possibility that the alcohol consumption of the mother during gestation forces the fetal metabolic system to speed up so that it can quickly filter out any toxins<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This leads to an accelerated metabolism during childhood and adulthood which is why patients with fetal alcohol syndrome are too thin. Another theory is that growth hormones are produced less due to the alcohol in the system of the mother leading to stunted growth, shorter overall height, and the inability to grow muscle. Patients with fetal alcohol syndrome often have to eat twice as often as other people just to maintain their current body weight due to the fact that their metabolism has been accelerated since gestation.
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