Women who consume alcohol during their pregnancy expose their unborn child to the risk of fetal alcohol syndrome. This syndrome is apparent during childhood and is associated with a number of problems. A new study focused on children with fetal alcohol syndrome and the problems they faced during adulthood. The study was published online on December 22 in the journal Pediatrics by Swedish researchers.
The study authors note that disabilities in children exposed to alcohol prior to birth have a major impact on their daily life. Studies have suggested that these issues persist into adulthood; however, only a handful of researchers have evaluated the outcome in adults with prenatal exposure, particularly those with fetal alcohol syndrome. Therefore, the aim of the study was to evaluate outcome factors such as education, employment, health, and criminal acts.
The study group comprised 79 adults diagnosed with fetal alcohol syndrome (average age: 32 years). Education level, social adjustment, and mental health outcomes were assessed and compared with 3,160 individuals without the syndrome, matched by age, gender, and place of birth. The researchers found that the fetal alcohol syndrome group was much more likely than the control group to have received special education (25% vs. 2%), be unemployed (51% vs. 15%), and receive a disability pension (31% vs. 3%). However, but the degree of criminal offenses were similar. Tin addition, the fetal alcohol syndrome group had higher hospital admission rates for alcohol abuse (9% vs. 2%) and psychiatric disorders (33% vs. 5%). In addition, those individuals were more likely to be prescribed psychiatric medications (57% vs. 27%).
The authors concluded that Swedish children with fetal alcohol syndrome are burdened with an extremely diverse collection of psychosocial problems in adulthood at a level significantly higher than the general population. They recommended that potential risk and protective factors within individuals with fetal alcohol syndrome merits further study in order to facilitate development of effective interventions.
The researchers are affiliated with: University of Gothenburg (Gothenburg, Sweden); Karolinska Institutet (Stockholm, Sweden); Stockholm University (Stockholm, Sweden); and The Queen Silvia Children’s Hospital (Gothenburg, Sweden).
According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the severity of fetal alcohol syndrome symptoms varies; some children experiencing them to a far greater degree than others. Signs and symptoms of fetal alcohol syndrome may include any mixture of physical defects, intellectual or cognitive disabilities, and problems functioning and coping with daily life.
Physical defects may include:
- Distinctive facial features such as wide-set eyes, an exceptionally thin upper lip, a short, upturned nose, and a smooth skin surface between the nose and upper lip.
- Deformities of joints, limbs and fingers.
- Slow physical growth before and after birth.
- Vision or hearing problems.
- Small head circumference and brain size.
- Heart defects and problems with kidneys and bones.
- Brain and central nervous system problems. These problems may include: poor coordination or balance; intellectual disability, learning disorders and delayed development; poor memory; trouble with attention and with processing information; difficulty with reasoning and problem-solving; difficulty identifying consequences of choices; poor judgment skills; jitteriness or hyperactivity; rapidly changing moods
Social and behavioral issues include:
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- Trouble getting along with others
- Poor social skills
- Trouble adapting to change or switching from one task to another
- Problems with behavior and impulse control
- Poor concept of time
- Problems staying on task
- Difficulty planning or working toward a goal
