Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder

Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is a disability that can occur in children, young people, and adults when alcohol is consumed during pregnancy.

A baby develops throughout the entire 9 months of pregnancy. Alcohol can cross the placenta at any point during pregnancy and effect development. There is no safe time to drink alcohol whilst pregnant. A baby's liver cannot process alcohol in the same way an adult's can and so the alcohol stays in their system much longer. It is a lifelong, brain-based, and often invisible disability. It is called a spectrum disorder because there are many different symptoms so no two people with FASD are the same.

We understand that mothers do not set out to intentionally harm their unborn child but this can happen by mothers drinking alcohol before they knew they were pregnant or perhaps they didn’t know the possible harm that could be caused or perhaps it was a difficult time in their own life or they had an alcohol addiction. Not everybody exposed to alcohol during pregnancy will be effected.

The term Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) means a range of physical, emotional and developmental delays that may affect a person when they were exposed to alcohol during pregnancy. Each person diagnosed with FASD is affected in a different way. The difficulties depend on what part of the brain was ‘wiring-up’ when it was exposed to alcohol.

Research has shown that children and teenagers with FASD are usually developmentally younger than their peers.

Understanding Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Information for parents and carers.

Understanding Fetal Alcohol Information Leaflet

FASD Hub Scotland is a tiered support service for all parents and carers of children and young people who have been affected - or may have been - by prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE).