What is Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder?

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is an umbrella term used to describe the range of disabilities caused by prenatal exposure to alcohol.

Prenatal exposure to alcohol is a leading cause of preventable birth defects and along with Spina Bifida and Down Syndrome, one of the top three known causes of developmental delay in children in Canada. It is a life-long condition. A child with FASD becomes an adult with FASD. There is no cure for this syndrome; the damage is irreversible.

In North America, FASD was identified as a medical condition in 1973. Physicians and health care providers are continuing to educate the public about the effect of alcohol on the unborn child. Since research has not been able to confirm a safe level of alcohol on an unborn child, experts agree that a woman should not drink when she is pregnant.

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), Alcohol-Related Birth Defects (ARBD), Fetal Alcohol Effects (FAE), and Alcohol-Related Neurological Disorders (ARND) are the most commonly used terms to refer to the various forms of impact, resulting from exposure to prenatal alcohol.

For this website, unless otherwise specified, the term FASD will be used to describe the full range of brain damage caused by prenatal exposure to alcohol.

For answers to frequently asked questions about FASD: Information about FASD for families and the public.

Please visit the Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission (AADAC) website for more information on FASD.

• Why Should Albertans be Concerned?