How soon do you know if your baby has Fetal Alcohol Syndrome?

Question

I know I'm sure I'm worrying about nothing...and my doctor told me theres nothing I should worry about and whats done is done. But im 37 weeks and my due date nears I get more and more worried. I wasnt actively trying to get pregnant, and according to my due date (september 20th), i conceived before new years (though, Im farly certain my LMP was actually on New Years)....regardless, I drank a good amount on new years, probably 8 or 9 strong drinks or so. I feel awful and I of course didnt drink a darn thing after i knew i was pregnant...but Im wondering how soon after a baby is born can you tell if she has FAS. Also, how common is it? I feel terrible...

Answer 1

There's a very strong possibility the alcohol in your system never touched your baby, so I'd say it's a very small risk for you. For the first twelve weeks, like any embryo, your baby's nutrition came from the corpus luteum, which was already in place and functioning at the time of conception. Think of it as a yolk sac to support your baby.

If the FAS was there, noticeable, and strong, they could have diagnosed at 20 weeks. For lesser effects, it may take the first three years.

Don't beat yourself up about this: my mom conceived New Year's Eve as well, and I assure you, I'm okay!

Answer 2

First of all I would take you doctors advice and not worry about it. Now if you had went out drinking many times and got drunk I would say then you have something to worry about. But to answer your question, there is a test that they do right after the baby is born. It is a reflex test and how the baby responds to sound and noise. I forget if it 5 or 10 different things they rate the baby on. So if there was anything like FAS, they would nknow pretty much right away. I am sure your baby is fine and healthy. You did have a Ultra-Sound done right? Well I am sure something would have been seen there also. Calm down mom and don't worry so much. Get a lot of rest, take you vitimans and eat a well balanced diet. I wish you all the best. I will say a special prayer for you and your baby tonight. God Bless!

Answer 3

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is not genetic. A baby can only get Fetal Alcohol Syndrome if the mother drinks alcohol while the baby is in the womb. If your baby's father has fetal alcohol syndrome, then I'm guessing his condition isn't as bad as what it could get. But a lot of babies that have it turn out mentally challenged, deformed, etc. It can really cause a child a lot of problems. If you stay away from alcohol, your baby will not be born with fetal alcohol syndrome.

Answer 4

You really don't have much to worry about. FAS usually occurs with repeated exposure to Alcohol. Plus the first week or so of pregnancy the fertilized egg isn't implanted yet and isn't receiving nutrition from any source. Its just traveling down your fallopian tube. I drank allot before I became pregnant (unplanned) and drank heavily several times the first month without knowing I was pregnant. I really beat myself up about it but quit smoking and drinking as soon as I suspected something. Now I have a very happy healthy 3 months old showing no signs of anything. I also had x-rays that first month, was exposed to radiation at my job and was in a car accident. (lucky baby eh?) Usually at birth you will notice some characteristics of FAS. If you want goggle it and you'll get allot more info on it.

Answer 5

I strongly belive you need to listen to your doctor on this one. I completely understand your concern but as they said - what is done is done. My understanding is that fetal alchohol syndrome applies more to babies where the mother drinks throughout the pregnancy and they are essentially born with alcoholism and other effects from the prolonged exposure to alcohol. I may be wrong but that was my impression. I think the thing to be concerned about with alcohol so early on is defects as that is the time when all the major organs and systems are developing. I assume your doctor has done ultrasounds as well as possibly other tests as well. They should have been able to tell if anything was wrong with the major systems of the baby. At this point I don't think FAS is a concern and if the baby is born healthy you should be able to just close the book on your concerns and go forward. I would do some more research to set your mind at ease but hopefully you can enjoy the last of your pregnancy and welcome your new healthy baby to the world! good luck!

Answer 6

You do not have to worry about FAS if it was that early. I have two very best friends and that similar situation happened to them. One, like you found out fairly quickly but the other friend was about 8 weeks pregnant when she found out and had been going out with friends and to concerts and of course drinking was involved and let me just say that she now has a healthy 8 year old girl who is in her schools "gifted" program and is a stellar softball player!
As said earlier, the first weeks are important and fragile but they are also VERY forgiving. The stress you are putting yourself through worrying is probably worse than the fact you had a few drinks early in pregnancy! LOL! =)
Hang in there lil' mamma! You'll be just fine!

Answer 7

Let me tell you one thing girl, don't beat yourself up or feel bad. Things happen like that, and it is just part of our lives. You sound like a great person, and you should not feel terrible. It is difficult having a baby in your situation, but I seriously do not think you have anything at all to worry about regarding the fetal alcohol syndrome. That is usually something that alcoholic women have to worry about. It is not very common either. To tell you a bit of background on me, I worked in substance abuse rehabs for over 9 years, and all I can say is that you should not worry too much about that. I would say it is not common at all. Take Care.

Answer 8

A LOT of women have had binge drinking nights not knowing that they were pregnant. It happens a lot. It's not a great thing to happen, but really shouldn't be a problem. Trust your doctor, and try not to worry about it right now. You have other important things going on! You're about to have your sweet baby. Don't feel terrible, you had no idea you were pregnant.

Answer 9

You know what, all my girlfriends and myself included all remember a night similar to what you described just before we found out we're pregnant ... don't worry about it.
It's true that they don't know how much actually causes FAS, but chances are if you weren't drinking heavily through out your pregnancy the odds of your baby having FAS are slim to none!
Good luck and congrats.

Answer 10

I will say what anyone would say. The first trimester is VERY important but also VERY forgiving. It happened so soon in development that your baby would be able to regenerate any cells that were damaged. If it was the second/third trimester it would be a different story. If your baby was affected (I just dont think so) I am sure he/she would display symptoms rather quickly