What is FASD?

FASD stands for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. But what exactly IS that?

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder includes all the types of disabilities that can occur when a woman drinks alcohol while pregnant. Some people mistakenly believe the effects of FASD are limited to severe mental disabilities or physical malformations. But FASD the effects of FASD can be much more subtle, showing up as difficulties in school, bad behaviour and even trouble with the law.

According to information on the Health Canada website, there are an estimated 300,000 people living with FASD...and each person may require as much as $1.4 million in extra services that provide additional care and support.

The good news is that those services do exist, enabling people with FASD to live to their fullest potential. The other good news is that FASD is preventable. There is one - and only one - cause of FASD, and that's drinking alcohol during pregnancy.

No one knows how much alcohol it actually takes to cause FASD. No one can say there's a specific time during pregnancy is okay to drink. That's why the only absolutely safe amount of alcohol for a pregnant woman is absolutely none at all .

Effects can include:

  • Reduced IQ
  • Speech and vision impairment
  • Hyperactivity
  • Reduced attention span
  • Comprehension difficulties
  • Physical malformation
  • Growth deficiencies
  • Learning disorders
  • Central nervous system dysfunction
  • Reduced life span
  • Mild to severe behavior problems

FASD Fast Facts

  • According to the Health Canada website, an estimated 300,000 people are currently living with FASD.
  • Fathers can't pass FASD along to their children.
  • There is no safe time to drink during a woman's pregnancy.
  • No one knows how much alcohol can cause FASD. Effects can be caused by a single drink.
  • There is no cure for FASD.
  • Drinking alcohol during pregnancy is the ONLY cause of FASD.
  • FASD stands for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, a term that covers a wide array of disabilities caused by drinking alcohol during pregnancy.
  • Even though drinking alcohol while breastfeeding won't cause FASD, alcohol can be passed to the child, having negative effects on their development.