About FASD

People who live with FASD experience a wide range of effects including:

  • Growth delays
  • Intellectual disabilities
  • Birth defects
  • Characteristic facial features like small eyes, smooth philtrum (area between the nose and upper lip) and a thin upper lip
  • Lower IQ
  • Difficulty learning
  • Memory problems
  • Abstract reasoning
  • Hyperactivity or attention problems
  • Lack of social skills
  • Communication problems
  • Limited sensory motor function

The following factors influence the affect alcohol will have on a pregnancy:

  • Frequency of consumption
  • Amount and timing of alcohol consumed
  • Mother’s age and overall health
  • Use of other drugs
  • The baby’s genetics

The spectrum of brain differences caused by FASD varies from person to person and no two people are affected the same way by alcohol.

Because of that, the most important thing to remember is that there is no known safe amount of alcohol use during pregnancy.