Cold fact: Foetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is the most common birth defect in South Africa, more common than Down syndrome.

Cold fact: South Africa has one of the highest incidences of FAS in the world, with the Western Cape having the highest known incidence anywhere in the world.

What is foetal alcohol syndrome?

Foetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is caused by heavy alcohol consumption, usually but not always because of binge drinking during pregnancy. Alcohol and its metabolite acetaldehyde are tissue toxins — when the mother drinks alcohol these toxins are passed through the placenta to the foetus where it directly interferes with cell growth and metabolism of the foetus. The damage caused to the foetus is irreversible; there is no treatment or cure.

FAS describes children at the severe end of the spectrum of foetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), a much broader term that describes all signs and symptoms in children whose mothers drank alcohol while pregnant.

Symptoms of FAS

    • Brain damage, resulting in low intelligence, poor judgement, behaviour disorders, mental health problems and inability to perform everyday tasks
    • Facial abnormalities, including small and wide-set or low-set eyes, a small and recessed chin, a shorter and upturned nose, a thin upper lip, a cleft lip or a cleft palate
    • Growth deficits, both before and after birth
    • Malformed organs, such as heart and kidney defects.

South African statistics

One estimate suggests an incidence as high as 14 affected births in every 1000, or 1.4% on average nationally − markedly higher than the global incidence of less than 1%. The Western Cape has the highest incidence of FAS in the world at between 7 and 8% of births, and separate studies have revealed incidences of 2.2% in Soweto, 3.7% in Westbury and 1.2% in Lenasia. However, FAS affects all races and all socio-economic groups.

Prevention

Since no scientific data exists to say how much alcohol consumption is safe during pregnancy, the only prevention for FAS is for women who are planning to fall pregnant or are pregnant to abstain from drinking alcohol.

 

Sources
www.fasfacts.org.za
www.sancawc.co.za
sun025.sun.ac.za
www.mrc.ac.za
www.who.int