Babies diagnosed with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome may have some but not all of the following physiological characteristics: Small birth weight
- Small head circumference
- Small, widely spaced eyes
- Flat midface
- Short, upturned nose
- Smooth, wide philtrum
- Thin upper lip
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome/Fetal Alcohol Effects are PERMANENT and cannot be outgrown.
FAS/FAE babies and young children may have other specific distinguishable features:
· short stature
· small and thin
· physical problems, including hearing defects, organ imperfections or bone problems
· difficulty with eating
· difficulty developing a regular sleeping schedule
· difficulty learning how to walk
· difficulty learning toilet training
· impulsivity (ie. running out into the street, going off with a stranger)
· hyperactivity
FAS/FAE children have learning disabilities, which can include difficulties in:
· learning language and language use, especially receptive language
· generalizing information
· mastering new or recently learned skills
· memory (ie. remembering something from a year ago but not from yesterday)
· predicting outcomes or cause and effect
· distinguishing fact from fantasy
· distinguishing friends from strangers (ie. may think someone they met five minutes ago is a friend)
· lack of learning from experience because they do not understand cause and effect, behaviour and experience
FAS/FAE adults continue to have the same learning difficulties they had as youth, and also often have difficulty with:
· the legal and court system, due to lack of understanding of cause and effect
· controlling alcohol consumption
· maintaining custody of their children
· mental health issues