Fetal alcohol syndrome is a brain disorder and often an invisible disability. First diagnosed by Dr. Kenneth Jones and Dr. David Smith at the University of Washington in 1973, it is now one of the diagnoses used to describe birth defects caused by alcohol use during pregnancy.

            Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is found in 1 in 100 births. The sad fact is this mental disorder is 100% preventable. Women do not drink on purpose during pregnancy. College educated women are just as likely to drink during pregnancy as any other person. The problem is that women drink and often do not know they are pregnant. Most women stop when they know the truth. But there is also the false assumption, because of a lack of information about FAS that beer and wine are acceptable to drink during pregnancy, but hard liquor is not. The truth is that just one drink can create permanent damage to the brain of a developing fetus. 

            There is no safe amount of alcohol use during pregnancy. One drink may be too many, because people metabolize alcohol differently depending upon their shape and size. As the fetus is growing, different parts of the body may be affected as it is developing and growing.

            No one knows how a child will be affected; however, there are four signs that determine FAS.  The first is a growth deficiency in height or weight; a child will often be smaller in stature throughout his or her lifetime which is often called “failure to thrive.” Another sign is specific differences in facial characteristics; the upper lip is often very thin, the philtrum the area above the lip is often flat, and there are minor ear anomalies.

            Another sign of FAS is damage to the central nervous system. Every part of the brain has a job that affects memory, emotion, and touch to name a few. Alcohol kills brain cells that connect neurons and synapses, and the brain cells migrate because they cannot connect to one another. Alcohol causes a brain to be underdeveloped because there is a disconnection in the brain.

            Alcohol can be more damaging to the brain than any other drug. A 1996 report to Congress, from the Institute of Medicine states, “Of all the substances of abuse, (including cocaine, heroin, and marijuana), alcohol produces by far the most serious neurobehavioral effects (brain defects) in the fetus.”  With alcohol use, the damaging effects are permanent.

            The last sign is an obvious one. If there is evidence that a woman is drinking during pregnancy, fetal alcohol syndrome can occur. Teens are most apt to drink when they are pregnant and they do not often realize it can cause FAS. The nervous system can be affected physically, mentally, and behaviorally, and damage to the nervous system is often undetectable at birth. Symptoms of FAS can include ADHD, chronic urinary tract infections, and sensitivity to sights, sounds, and smells.

            Alcohol is highly toxic to a developing fetus. Alcohol is poison for the brain, not just for the developing fetus, but also for the developing brain of a teenager. Two important facts to remember if you think you are pregnant:  One drink may be too many, so don’t drink! Fetal alcohol syndrome causes permanent brain damage, but it is 100% preventable.

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For more information about FAS, go to:

-National Organization of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (NOFAS) – www.nofas.org

-NYS Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse (NYS OASAS) – www.oasas.state.ny.us/fasd

-National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) – www.niaaa.nih.gov/

Michele Whalen is the Project Coordinator at Cortland Area Communities that Care. She can be reached at (607) 299-4910 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .