Fetal alcohol syndrome
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Fetal alcohol syndrome
Pathology
Female reproductive system disorders
Amenorrhea
Breast cancer
Fibrocystic breast changes
Intraductal papilloma
Mastitis
Paget disease of the breast
Phyllodes tumor
Intrauterine growth restriction
Oligohydramnios
Polyhydramnios
Potter sequence
Postpartum hemorrhage
Preterm labor
Pelvic inflammatory disease
Urethritis
Ectopic pregnancy
Gestational trophoblastic disease
Miscarriage
Germ cell ovarian tumor
Krukenberg tumor
Ovarian cyst
Ovarian torsion
Polycystic ovary syndrome
Premature ovarian failure
Sex cord-gonadal stromal tumor
Surface epithelial-stromal tumor
Chorioamnionitis
Congenital cytomegalovirus (NORD)
Congenital rubella syndrome
Congenital syphilis
Congenital toxoplasmosis
Neonatal conjunctivitis
Neonatal herpes simplex
Neonatal meningitis
Neonatal sepsis
Cervical incompetence
Gestational diabetes
Gestational hypertension
Hyperemesis gravidarum
Placenta accreta
Placenta previa
Placental abruption
Preeclampsia & eclampsia
Female sexual interest and arousal disorder
Genito-pelvic pain and penetration disorder
Orgasmic dysfunction
Fetal alcohol syndrome
Fetal hydantoin syndrome
Cervical cancer
Choriocarcinoma
Endometrial cancer
Endometrial hyperplasia
Endometriosis
Endometritis
Uterine fibroid
Male and female reproductive system disorders
Delayed puberty
Precocious puberty
5-alpha-reductase deficiency
Androgen insensitivity syndrome
Kallmann syndrome
Klinefelter syndrome
Turner syndrome
Male reproductive system disorders
Bladder exstrophy
Hypospadias and epispadias
Penile cancer
Priapism
Benign prostatic hyperplasia
Prostate cancer
Prostatitis
Erectile dysfunction
Male hypoactive sexual desire disorder
Cryptorchidism
Epididymitis
Inguinal hernia
Orchitis
Testicular cancer
Testicular torsion
Varicocele
Reproductive system pathology review
Benign breast conditions: Pathology review
Breast cancer: Pathology review
Cervical cancer: Pathology review
Complications during pregnancy: Pathology review
Congenital TORCH infections: Pathology review
Disorders of sex chromosomes: Pathology review
Disorders of sexual development and sex hormones: Pathology review
HIV and AIDS: Pathology review
Ovarian cysts and tumors: Pathology review
Penile conditions: Pathology review
Prostate disorders and cancer: Pathology review
Sexually transmitted infections: Vaginitis and cervicitis: Pathology review
Sexually transmitted infections: Warts and ulcers: Pathology review
Testicular and scrotal conditions: Pathology review
Testicular tumors: Pathology review
Uterine disorders: Pathology review
Vaginal and vulvar disorders: Pathology review
Assessments
Fetal alcohol syndrome
Flashcards
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USMLE® Step 1 questions
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High Yield Notes
15 pages
Flashcards
Fetal alcohol syndrome
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Questions
USMLE® Step 1 style questions USMLE
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External References
First Aid
2022
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2020
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2016
Atrial septal defect (ASD) p. 305
fetal alcohol syndrome p. 306
Developmental delay
fetal alcohol syndrome p. 639
Facies
in fetal alcohol syndrome p. 640
Fetal alcohol syndrome p. 306, 638, 639
holoprosencephaly in p. 505
Holoprosencephaly p. 505
fetal alcohol syndrome p. 639
Intellectual disability
fetal alcohol syndrome p. 639
Microcephaly
fetal alcohol syndrome p. 639
Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA)
fetal alcohol syndrome p. 306
Tetralogy of Fallot p. 304
fetal alcohol syndrome p. 306
Ventricular septal defect (VSD) p. 305, 728
fetal alcohol syndrome p. 306
Transcript
Content Reviewers
Contributors
Fetal alcohol syndrome, or FAS, occurs because of maternal use of alcohol during pregnancy.
It’s currently the leading cause of intellectual disability in the US and can cause characteristic physical abnormalities.
Normally, the fetus is connected to the placenta by the umbilical cord, so the fetus gets oxygen and nutrients from the mother.
Unfortunately, ethanol and toxic alcohol metabolites like acetaldehyde also pass freely through the placenta, but the fetal liver doesn’t have the necessary enzymes to metabolize them, so they build up inside the fetus really fast.
In FAS, ethanol interferes with cell division and proliferation, cell growth and differentiation, and with the migration of mature cells to their final location in the developing embryo, which affects the development of various fetal tissues, including the brain.
Alcohol-induced brain damage includes partial or complete agenesis of the corpus callosum, which links the two hemispheres together, so it either forms incompletely, or not at all.
This causes intellectual disability and seizures.
When the frontal cortex and the hippocampus are affected, this causes poor memory and communication skills, as well as intellectual disability.
The cerebellum can also be smaller in size, called hypoplasia, leading to trouble with movement and balance.
The most common symptom of FAS is growth retardation, resulting in low height and weight.
Summary
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is an umbrella term describing the range of effects that can occur in a person whose mother drank alcohol during pregnancy. FASD can include physical, behavioral, and intellectual disabilities.
There is no safe level of alcohol consumption during pregnancy, and drinking any amount can cause FASD. FASD is 100% preventable if women don't drink alcohol during pregnancy. If a woman does drink alcohol during pregnancy, there is no way to know for sure how her child will be affected.
Sources
- "Robbins Basic Pathology" Elsevier (2017)
- "Harrison’s principles of internal medicine" McGraw Hill Education / Medical (2018)
- "Pathophysiology of Disease: An Introduction to Clinical Medicine 8E" McGraw-Hill Education / Medical (2018)
- "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5 )" American Psychiatric Association (2013)
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