Terms and Definitions
In 1996 a
five-category system was suggested by the Institute of Medicine in the United States
to describe the range of effects that can be caused by prenatal alcohol
exposure.
They are as
follows:
1.
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS).
The characteristics needed to define FAS are:
a)
facial
anomalies which include small eye openings, flat, thin upper lip, little or no
philtrum ( the groove between nose and lip), and a flattened mid-face.
b)
Growth
retardation in at least one of the following ways:
·
Low birth
weight
·
Weight
loss which is not due to poor nutrition
·
Low
weight to height ratio
c)
Central
Nervous System abnormalities in at least one of the following areas:
·
Small
head size at birth
·
Structural
abnormalities in the brain
·
Poor fine
motor skills; poor eye-hand coordination; hearing loss which is not related to injury
or illness; poor gait when walking.
In addition to
the evidence of these characteristics the doctor must have knowledge of
maternal alcohol consumption.
2.
Fetal
Alcohol Syndrome
diagnosed without
knowledge of mother’s alcohol consumption providing all other characteristics
necessary to diagnose Fetal Alcohol Syndrome are present.
3.
Partial
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (PFAS)
The following criteria are necessary to describe Partial Fetal
Alcohol Syndrome:
a)
knowledge
that there was maternal alcohol consumption
b)
some of
the facial anomalies which are characteristic of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.
One of the following three characteristics:
c)
growth
retardation in at least one of the following ways:
·
low birth
weight
·
weight
loss which is not due to poor nutrition
·
low
weight to height ratio
d)
Central
Nervous System abnormalities in at least one of the following areas:
·
Small
head size at birth
·
Structural
abnormalities in the brain
·
Poor fine
motor skills, poor eye-hand coordination, hearing loss which is not related to
injury or illness, poor gait when walking.
e)
a pattern
of behaviour or cognitive abnormalities that are not age-appropriate and cannot
be explained by heredity or environment alone.
These abnormalities may include:
·
poor
school performance
·
deficits
in language, both expression and comprehension, and
·
specific
mathematical skills
·
poor
abstract thinking ability
·
poor
impulse control
·
inability
to interpret and respond to social situations
·
problems
with memory, attention and judgement.
4.
Alcohol-Related
Birth Defects (ARBD).
This term describes
congenital abnormalities related to:
a)
the heart
b)
the
skeleton
c)
the
kidneys
d)
the eyes
e)
the ears
To relate these abnormalities to alcohol, there must be knowledge of maternal
alcohol consumption.
5.
Alcohol-Related
Neurodevelopmental Disorder (ARND).
This term describes
the presence of one or both of the following:
a)
central
nervous system abnormalities in at least one of the following areas:
·
small
head size at birth
·
structural
abnormalities in the brain
·
poor fine
motor skills, poor eye-hand coordination, hearing loss which is not related to
injury or illness, poor gait when walking.
b)
a pattern
of behaviour or cognitive abnormalities that are not age-appropriate and
cannot be explained by heredity or environment
alone. These abnormalities may include:
·
poor
school performance
·
deficits
in language, both expression and comprehension, and specific mathematical
skills
·
poor
abstract thinking ability
·
poor
impulse control
·
inability
to interpret and respond to social situations
·
problems
with memory, attention and judgment
To relate these
abnormalities to alcohol, there must be knowledge of maternal alcohol
consumption.
Fetal
Alcohol Effects (FAE) is
another term which has been used commonly to describe a condition which does
not meet all of the criteria needed to diagnose FAS. The Institute of Medicine in the United States has recommended
that the term Partial FAS be used since the term FAE causes confusion among
professionals and the public. The use
of the word “partial” does not imply that the condition is less severe
than FAS.