how is Fetal Alcohol Syndrome diagnosed?

Answer 1

From Medicine Net:

"To establish a diagnosis of FAS, by convention, the following minimal criteria are met:

Small size and weight before and after birth (pre- and postnatal retardation).
Specific appearance of the head and face with at least 2 of the 3 following groups of signs; small head size (microcephaly), small eyes (microphthalmia) and/or short eye openings (palpebral fissures, and/or underdevelopment of the upper lip, indistinct groove between the lip and nose (the philtrum), and flattened cheekbones.
Brain involvement with evidence for delay in development, intellectual impairment, or neurologic abnormalities.
These criteria are used for the following reasons: (1) FAS can be difficult to diagnose at and after birth; (2) FAS can easily be confounded with many other disorders; (3) there is no one clinical feature that is a giveaway for FAS; and (4) there is no laboratory test to aid in the diagnosis."

Hope this helps. Check the site for further information on this Syndrome.

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

There is a relatively new test out based on pattern
eye-movement. Children suspected of having fetal alcohol syndrome have difficulty focusing on fixed light when a second light is moving. Two lights are used with one fixed and the other moving around, this is a diagnostic tool in diagnosing Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.

Answer 4

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Diagnosis & Tests

Examination of the baby may show a heart murmur or other evidence of cardiac anomalies. As the baby grows, there may be evidence of delayed mental development.

Tests include:

Pregnancy ultrasound can demonstrate the presence of intrauterine growth retardation
ECG (infant) echocardiogram (infant)
Blood alcohol level in pregnant women who exhibit signs of intoxication (see toxicology screen)

Answer 5

by the doctor....
teachers sometimes know by developmental delays
and eye placement and head shape--but they are not qualified to diagnose or label medical situations and when they know... they say NOTHING--but they do refer them to special ed.

and FAS has a vast range of symptoms and can be mild or extreme.

Answer 6

Signs and symptoms
Fetal alcohol syndrome isn't a single birth defect. It's a cluster or pattern of related problems. The severity of signs and symptoms varies, with some children experiencing them to a far greater degree than others. Moreover, the facial features seen with fetal alcohol syndrome may also occur in normal, healthy children. Facial features of fetal alcohol syndrome are especially difficult to identify in preschool-age children. Distinguishing normal facial features from signs of fetal alcohol syndrome in children of varying ethnic backgrounds requires the expertise of a doctor. Signs of fetal alcohol syndrome may include:

Distinctive facial features, including small eyelid openings, a sunken nasal bridge, an exceptionally thin upper lip, a short, upturned nose and a smooth skin surface between the nose and upper lip
Small teeth with faulty enamel
Heart defects
Deformities of joints, limbs and fingers
Slow physical growth before and after birth
Vision difficulties including nearsightedness (myopia)
Small head circumference and brain size (microcephaly)
Mental retardation and delayed development
Abnormal behavior such as a short attention span, hyperactivity, poor impulse control, extreme nervousness and anxiety
Doctors may use other terms to describe some of the signs of fetal alcohol syndrome. Alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder (ARND) refers to the mental and behavioral impairments that occur as a result of fetal exposure to alcohol. Alcohol-related birth defects (ARBDs) refer to the physical defects that occur from fetal alcohol exposure.

SCREENING AND DIAGNOSIS
Although doctors can't diagnose fetal alcohol syndrome before a baby is born, they can assess the health of mother and baby during pregnancy. If you report the timing and amount of alcohol consumption, your obstetrician or other health care provider can help determine the risk of fetal alcohol syndrome.

Knowing that you had been drinking while pregnant, your child's doctor can look for signs and symptoms of this syndrome in your child's initial weeks, months and years of life. Doctors commonly rely on these manifestations — such as growth impairment, facial malformations and the presence of heart defects — to diagnose FAS. At times doctors use a variety of tests, including evaluations of IQ and language development, to help make a diagnosis. Doctors may refer children with possible fetal alcohol syndrome to a medical genetics specialist to determine whether FAS or other problems are present.

It may be difficult for doctors to identify FAS, especially in preschool-age children. In some cases FAS may be very similar to other syndromes that have some of the same physical or behavioral characteristics. One such condition is Turner's syndrome, a chromosomal abnormality affecting girls that can impair intelligence and physical growth. Another condition that can mimic FAS is fragile X syndrome, a chromosomal mutation that causes a form of mild mental retardation in either boys or girls.

If one child in a family is diagnosed with FAS, it's important to evaluate the siblings to determine whether the same syndrome exists.


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Answer 7

Why are all the answers so dull and short these days?