In some ways I feel sorrier for the children that only have FAE (Fetal Alcohol Effect) as opposed to those that have FAS (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.) Why would I say something so strange? Think about it for a minute, if your child has FAS, anybody can look at your child and tell that something isn’t quite right. If a child looks somewhat abnormal, people tend to lower their expectation for that child. That in turn can make life somewhat easier for the affected child and the parents of the child.

However, a child who has FAE tends to look completely normal. Therefore people who come into contact with the FAE child tend to have normal expectations for the capability of the child. This can cause a lot of frustration for the child and the child’s parents as they try to explain their child’s special needs to school personnel, friend’s parents that may need to supervise the child and other authority figures in the child’s life.

The FAE child may make friends rather quickly but then have trouble maintaining a long term friendship when the new friend realizes the child’s cognitive and communication deficits.

A quick google search and I found the following definition and information:
“Problem: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is a pattern of mental and physical defects which develops in some unborn babies when the mother drinks too much alcohol during pregnancy. A baby born with FAS may be seriously handicapped and require a lifetime of special care. Some babies with alcohol-related birth defects, including smaller body size, lower birth weight, and other impairments, do not have all of the classic FAS symptoms. These symptoms are sometimes referred to as Fetal Alcohol Effects (FAE). Researchers do not all agree on the precise distinctions between FAS and FAE cases.
Cause of the Problem: Alcohol in a pregnant woman's bloodstream circulates to the fetus by crossing the placenta. There, the alcohol interferes with the ability of the fetus to receive sufficient oxygen and nourishment for normal cell development in the brain and other body organs.

Possible FAS Symptoms:
• Growth deficiencies: small body size and weight, slower than normal development and failure to catch up.
• Skeletal deformities: deformed ribs and sternum; curved spine; hip dislocations; bent, fused, webbed, or missing fingers or toes; limited movement of joints; small head.
• Facial abnormalities: small eye openings; skin webbing between eyes and base of nose; drooping eyelids; nearsightedness; failure of eyes to move in same direction; short upturned nose; sunken nasal bridge; flat or absent groove between nose and upper lip; thin upper lip; opening in roof of mouth; small jaw; low-set or poorly formed ears.
• Organ deformities: heart defects; heart murmurs; genital malformations; kidney and urinary defects.
• Central nervous system handicaps: small brain; faulty arrangement of brain cells and connective tissue; mental retardation -- usually mild to moderate but occasionally severe; learning disabilities; short attention span; irritability in infancy; hyperactivity in childhood; poor body, hand, and finger coordination.”
Read more at the following web site.
Photo credit