The History of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

By Nelson Tang

Alcoholism is one of the biggest issues that negatively impacts millions of people around the world of various ages. It can even affect those who are not even born yet, leading to problems down the line. This article will take a look at what fetal alcohol syndrome is and how it affects individuals who have this condition. Moreover, it will discuss the causes and symptoms associated with it. Lastly, it will talk about the history and social context of these occurrences and the people who discovered fetal alcohol syndrome.

Fetal alcohol syndrome falls under a group of alcohol related developmental disorders that are all alcohol related, known as fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. It includes partial fetal alcohol syndrome (pFAS), Alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder (ARND), Alcohol-related birth defects (ARBD), and fetal alcohol syndrome. The root cause of all of these is the result of the consumption of alcohol during pregnancy as the baby absorbs whatever the mother eats and drinks while developing in the womb. It is clearly stated in alcoholic beverages and establishments that pregnant women should not consume alcohol as even a light or small amount can still affect the development of the baby. Consequently, both the mother and child will suffer and develop a number of health issues because of this. The severity will vary depending on how much alcohol was consumed during pregnancy. Defects can either be physical, mental, or both, affecting the child in different ways.

Such symptoms include slow fetal growth and low birth weight alcohol withdrawal symptoms in newborns (such as high-pitched cry, jitteriness, and seizures), sleep and sucking problems in infancy, abnormalities of the face (such as small eyes and thin mouth), shorter height than other children of the same age, poor physical coordination, hyperactivity, learning or thinking problems or low IQ, speech or language delays, problems with daily living, reasoning, and judgment. Furthermore, there are a number of long term problems as well, such as mental health issues, poor social skills, not being able to find employment, or not being able to finish school. [1]. As one can see, there are many risks and problems that will arise from alcohol consumption during pregnancy. 

There are several ways that fetal alcohol syndrome can be diagnosed. Such examples include Dubowitz syndrome, fetal toluene embryopathy, paternal phenylketonuria (PKU) phenocopies and some cases of 22q11 deletion. [3]. In most cases, a healthcare provider can diagnose fetal alcohol syndrome by looking for the physical characteristics associated with it such as face, eyes, and lips for any changes. For older children, it typically is done through learning tests to check for any development problems. When it comes to treatment, there are several options depending on the severity and defects that one with fetal alcohol syndrome has. Such treatment includes medicine, being in an intensive care unit, special education, social services, and speech, behavioral, or physical therapy. [1]. 

Even before the discovery of fetal alcohol syndrome, alcohol, much like other drugs, has always been a societal issue through history as there have been different periods in time where there was heavy opposition and resistance towards the consumption of alcohol such as the Prohibition Era in the United States during the early 1900s. Legislation was even passed, which banned the wholesale of alcohol in the country. Alcohol was seen as a cause of bad behavior and being immoral. However, public perception had shifted, viewing alcohol in a more positive light after the Prohibition Act was repealed in 1933. It was seen to have beneficial effects and even doctors recommend consumption as a method of social relaxation or to delay premature birth.

However, it all changed again with the thalidomide scare of the 1950s and 1960s. There were cases of numerous children being born with severe appendicular defects. Because of this, social concerns arose again. David W. Smith and Kenneth L. Jones, pediatricians at the University of Washington’s medical school, were the ones to make the discovery on fetal alcohol syndrome. In 1973, they examined and took notes on eight children at the University’s Harborview Medical Center to try to determine what had caused their developmental delays. Out of the eight children, four of them had similar growth deficiencies, abnormally small heads (microcephaly), and delays in cognitive development. Furthermore, something that all of these children had in common was that their mothers were alcoholics. Thus, they concluded that alcohol had something to do with all of this.

They went on to study and examine other cases and published their findings in an article they wrote called "Pattern of Malformation in Offspring of Chronic Alcoholic Mothers” to The Lancet. Smith and Jones would go on to write other articles such as "Recognition of the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome in Early Infancy” and “Outcome in Offspring of Chronic Alcoholic Women.” [3]. Although it was suspected that drinking during pregnancy would cause some negative impacts on the offspring through history, it was ultimately these two people that helped in confirming it. Despite there being no cure, this condition is 100% preventable and is up to the mother to prevent it from happening and to consider the consequences of drinking during pregnancy. Alcoholism is a serious issue throughout the world and is something that still needs a lot of work on. 

References:

[1]. “Articles.” Cedars, www.cedars-sinai.org/health-library/diseases-and-conditions---pediatrics/f/fetal-alcohol-spectrum-disorder-fasd.html

[2]. O’Neil, By: Erica, et al. “The Discovery of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.” The Discovery of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome | Embryo Project Encyclopedia, embryo.asu.edu/pages/discovery-fetal-alcohol-syndrome 

[3]. Vorgias, Demetrios. “Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.” StatPearls [Internet]., U.S. National Library of Medicine, 27 May 2023, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK448178/http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK448178/