They can determine whether an individual’s symptoms meet the criteria for an FASD diagnosis. For example, research has shown that children with FASDs have a higher risk of experiencing family instability. The difficulties relating to FASDs may also become more pronounced over time.

Role of Oligodendrocytes in FASD

A list of NIH funded FASD-related projects may be found at NIH RePORTER, selecting FASD under the NIH Spending Category of the Advanced Project Search. If one child in a family is diagnosed with fetal alcohol syndrome, it may be important to evaluate siblings for fetal alcohol syndrome if the mother drank alcohol during these pregnancies. Attempts have been made to understand the individual and combined effects of PAE and postnatal events on individual behaviours in FASD263.

Specific criteria

We recently identified a novel astrocyte-neuron interaction by which cholinergic activation leads to induction of multiple signaling cascades that enhance neurite outgrowth of hippocampal neurons (Guizzetti et al., 2008; Giordano et al., 2011). The majority of the factors secreted by astrocytes are proteases, protease inhibitors and ECM components (Moore et al., 2009). Following cholinergic stimulation of cultured astrocytes, we observed increases in ECM protein expression (fibronectin and laminin) both intracellularly and in the media and upregulation of factors that prevent degradation of the ECM (Guizzetti et al., 2008). Astrocyte-released proteins also play a major role in the regulation of synaptogenesis (reviewed in Guizzetti et al., 2014), the maintenance of brain homeostasis, neuroimmune function and blood-brain barrier development (Obermeier et al., 2013; Engelhardt and Liebner, 2014).

Prevention

FAS is characterized by prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE), craniofacial (head and face) differences, neurodevelopmental abnormalities (including behavioral issues), and growth impairment. The CDC explains that there’s no safe time to consume alcohol during pregnancy. Exposure in the first 3 months may cause physical abnormalities, such as those affecting facial features.

Oligodendrocytes and Myelination in Brain Development

Recent imaging studies of FASD children show defects in white matter fiber tracts that may arise from the reported effects of alcohol on oligodendrocytes or their precursors. Similarly, alcohol exposure during the brain growth spurt and the resultant microencephaly that occurs also highlights the glial effects of alcohol. There is evidence that reduced dendritic arborization and structural plasticity observed in FASD models may be due, at least in part, to changes in factors released by astrocytes, which are known to have a major role in neuronal development and brain maturation. Finally, the neuronal loss reported in several FASD models may be caused by reduced release of trophic factors and antioxidants by astrocytes or increased release of neuroinflammatory molecules by microglia and astrocytes.

• Request a free evaluation to find out if your child can get services to help.
• Historically, medical professionals did not recognize the risks posed by alcohol use during pregnancy.
• Child maltreatment viewed through a neurodevelopmental lens highlights the benefit of a sequential model of therapeutics rather than a focus on specific therapeutic techniques264.
• A syndrome is a group of symptoms that happen together as the result of a particular disease or abnormal condition.

Public-health initiatives that promote and support women’s health, in general, may raise awareness about PAE/FASD. More specific measures include warning signs on alcohol products, pamphlets and public education programmes that encourage healthy, alcohol-free pregnancies220,221. Moreover, campaigns that use triggering imagery or blaming/shaming language (such as ‘FASD is 100% preventable’) can stigmatize and isolate pregnant women who use alcohol, particularly when paired with judgmental interventions196. Reframing alcohol use in pregnancy as a shared responsibility of women, partners, prenatal health-care providers, treatment programmes for drunken baby syndrome substance use disorder, families, community and government may be helpful222.

Find a research study

A permanent condition, fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) happens when a person consumes any amount of alcohol during a pregnancy. Alcohol use during pregnancy can interfere with the baby’s development, causing physical and mental defects. Fetal alcohol syndrome is the most severe condition within a group of conditions called fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs). PAE after 8 weeks of gestation affects neurogenesis, differentiation of neural precursor cells, neuronal migration, pathfinding, synaptogenesis and axon myelination72,85,86 but does not cause sentinel craniofacial dysmorphology or major organ defects.

• Advances in neuroscience research, including novel preclinical studies, may help elucidate the relationship between PAE-induced brain dysfunction and the FASD phenotype and inform therapeutics and prevention292.
• Unfortunately, people with FAS are more likely to experience legal troubles, have secondary mental health diagnoses, and have higher rates of suicide.
• CDC works with partners across the country to address alcohol and other substance use during pregnancy and FASDs.
• In addition, NIAAA funds conference grants that support the annual meeting of the FASD Study Group () and the International Research Conference on FASD in Vancouver.
• If you adopted a child or are providing foster care, you may not know if the biological mother drank alcohol while pregnant.

What is fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)?

Alcohol consumption during pregnancy can produce a variety of central nervous system (CNS) abnormalities in the offspring resulting in a broad spectrum of cognitive and behavioral impairments that constitute the most severe and long-lasting effects observed in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). Damage to radial glia due to prenatal alcohol exposure may underlie observations of abnormal neuronal and glial migration in humans with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), as well as primate and rodent models of FAS. A reduction in cell number and altered development has been reported for several glial cell types in animal models of FAS. Delayed oligodendrocyte development and increased oligodendrocyte precursor apoptosis has also been reported in experimental models of FASD, which may be linked to altered myelination/white matter integrity found in FASD children. Children with FAS exhibit hypoplasia of the corpus callosum and anterior commissure, two areas requiring guidance from glial cells and proper maturation of oligodendrocytes.

A major goal of the conference was to build consensus among participants who subsequently agreed to test a few draft classification systems in their own research databases to inform the process going forward. Substance misuse counseling and treatment programs can help with overcoming alcohol or recreational drug use. Joining a support group or 12-step program such as Alcoholics Anonymous also may help. The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the use of telemedicine for virtual neuropsychiatric assessment and delivery of therapy282.

And other disorders, such as ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder) and Williams syndrome, have some symptoms like FAS. Tony Loneman, a character in Tommy Orange’s 2018 novel There There, was born with fetal alcohol syndrome, which he calls “the Drome”. The more alcohol you drink during pregnancy, the greater the chance of problems in your baby. There’s no known safe amount of alcohol to drink during pregnancy, and there’s no type of alcohol that is safe.