FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME (FAS) — A syndrome of damage that occurs to a child before birth as a result of the mother drinking alcohol during pregnancy. It represents the extreme end of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs) and is a leading cause of mental retardation in the US.

Core Characteristics: Always involves brain damage, impaired growth, and head/face abnormalities.
Required Diagnostic Criteria: To establish a diagnosis, all of the following signs must be present:
1. Small size and weight before and after birth (pre- and postnatal growth retardation).
2. Evidence of brain delay in development, intellectual impairment, or neurologic abnormalities.
3. Specific appearance of the head and face.
Specific Facial/Head Signs (At least two of these groups must be present):
- Small head size (microcephaly).
- Small eyes (microphthalmia) and/or short eye openings (palpebral fissures).
- Underdevelopment of the upper lip, an indistinct groove between the lip and nose (the philtrum), and flattened cheekbones.
Treatment & Prevention: There is no treatment for FAS (besides education of women and surgery to correct major physical defects). No amount of alcohol has been proven safe during pregnancy.

Note: Other conditions within the FASDs spectrum include alcohol-related birth defects (ARBD) and alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disabilities (ARND).

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