Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) Screening

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs) are a group of conditions that can happen in a child who was exposed to alcohol before birth (called prenatal alcohol exposure). These conditions can affect each person in different ways and can range from mild to severe. People with FASDs can have lifelong effects, including physical, emotional, and behavioral problems.

When you drink alcohol during pregnancy, the alcohol passes to your developing baby through your placenta, the organ that nourishes your baby in your uterus. The alcohol can harm your baby’s development, damage their organs, or cause other health problems. No amount of alcohol is safe to drink during pregnancy.

If you are pregnant or think you could be pregnant, you should not drink alcohol. This includes hard liquor, beer, and wine. Exposing your developing baby to alcohol could cause them to have an FASD or other serious health problems.

The term FASDs includes all of the following conditions: Alcohol-Related Birth Defects (ARBD). This condition can affect organ development. People with ARBD may have problems with the function of their heart, kidneys, hearing, vision, and/or bones.

They may also have other types of FASDs.; Neurobehavioral Disorder Associated with Prenatal Alcohol Exposure (ND-PAE). People with this condition can have problems with mental health, memory, communication, impulse control, and skills of daily living.; Alcohol-Related Neurodevelopment Disorder (ARND). People with ARND have problems with the brain and nervous system.

It can cause intellectual disabilities, and/or behavioral and learning problems.; Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). This is the most severe type of FASD. It causes both birth defects and neurodevelopmental disorders.; Partial Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (pFAS).

People with pFAS have some of the symptoms of an FASD, such as changes to their facial features. But the condition is not as severe as the other disorders.;

How to prepare

There are no special preparations needed for an FASD screening.

Other names for this test

fetal alcohol syndrome screening, fetal alcohol 4-digit diagnostic code