Why is it only adopted children seem to suffer from FAS?

Question

The symptoms that get identified as being fetal alcohol syndrom could just as easily be primal wound related.

I suspect adopters rather like blaming their child's mother for being "unfit" enough to drink excessively, especially if they couldn't carry a pregnancy. Is that why this condition is more prevelant among the adopted?

Answer 1

I don't think all adopters blame the biological mother for their adoptive child having FAS or having some type of conditions. My parents never spoke bad about my biological mother, even though she was a drug addict and a alcholoic. My younger sister I feel has FAS, even though she was never diagnoised with having it. My mother was known to drink during her pregnancies. I was fortunate enough not to get FAS.

Answer 2

perhaps the correlation has to do with a lot of adopted children are from parents with drug and alcohol problems.

Answer 3

lol, are you in therapy yet?

I'm lucky to have escaped FAS myself.  It must have been my 'primal wound' from my adoption that caused it, it couldn't possibly have been my birth mothers inclination to drink more than a bottle of scotch everyday...

Answer 4

According to my research, FAS can go undetected for some time.  There are some physical traits that are not noticeable in infancy and many cognitive signs of FAS that are not evaluated until a child is older.

One important thing to consider is that the biggest window for FAS occurs in the first trimester when many women are unaware that they are even pregnant and so consume alcohol.  This means that often FAS is not the sign of a bad parent.  I mean really, how can one be a "bad parent" if they don't even know they are pregnant?

I was very ill and took Nyquil every night for a week before discovering I was pregnant with my eldest.  I didn't do it on purpose, I really had no idea.  My husband and I were quite surprised (and yes, we were married at the time).  I will tell you, I worried a bit because I knew the dangers of alcohol in the 1st trimester but really, I had no idea.  I don't think I'm a bad parent.  BTW, my son is fine.

I have been an educator for over ten years and I have only encountered one child with a suspected FAS diagnosis and yes, she was adopted.  At age 5, there was still an unclear diagnosis.

FAS is considered a spectrum disorder which means it can have varying degrees depending on the person, the amount of alcohol consumed during pregnancy and the time of said consumption.

I think that many children placed these days for adoption do come from crisis situations and do possibly run a higher risk.  But as in any thing, every situation is different.  I guess I would need more statistics to give you a more thoughtful answer.

http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/medical...

Answer 5

no the children get taken away at the hospital because of FAS  then the child goes to foster care the mother has some time to work her case plan but if she does not then the child goes up for adoption.  The doctors call the social workers when the child is born with FAS they are mandated by law

Answer 6

Because FAS is a syndrome involving a multitude of problems, the presence of only some being necessary to earn the diagnosis, and because quite often the adoptee's mother's use of alcohol is not known, it is not surprising that FAS will often be diagnosed.  Since knowledge of the mother's use of alcohol is not actually required for a diagnosis, it would seem easy to mistake the problems arising from the primal wound (caused by separation from the mother at birth) for FAS.  In other words, since FAS can be diagnosed solely on the grounds of functional impairments, and since the primal wound can also lead to functional impairments, it is easier for the adoption industry to blame the activity of the birth mother rather than the act of adoption itself for these impairments.

Edited to Add: No one knows how much drinking causes this.  This is why the recommendation is that a woman drink no alcohol at all during pregnancy.

Answer 7

I've never heard of any more prevalance of an FAS diagnosis in adopted children.

Foster children perhaps, as alcohol and drug addictions play a huge part in the parent's inability to adequately parent their children, but not so much adopted children.

Can I ask you to quote your sources?  All of the research I've read on this and related conditions (and it's quite a lot) have certainly never cited stats or number of adopted children vs children raised by bio parents.

I'm unable to give much of an opinon on adoptive parents blaming the bio parents, etc, as the statements in the first part of the question are flawed.

Answer 8

They aren't. I have many who come through my classroom each year that are identified later- after school begins as having FAS. Mom or grandma is currently raising the child. It's an awful thing- and so easy to prevent. In other cases, the children come in that have a history of being born addicted to Meth or some other substance.

Answer 9

Geez, generalize much?

Answer 10

FAS is a medical condition that has physical as well as mental and neurological criteria that must be met in order to make a diagnosis.  Both adopted and non-adopted children are diagnosed.  The suggestions that birth mothers are alcoholics and drug addicts and therefore children who are adopted must have come from alcoholics and drug addicts is not only unfounded, but adds no actual facts to the discussion.

FAS also occurs to a small degree in some and a larger degree in others.  One of the important factors noted in the CDC's outline is that other diagnoses that may be the cause of symptoms must be ruled out before a diagnosis of FAS is made.

Here is an excerpt taken from the CDC's outline for diagnonsis of FAS.  The full text can be found here:

http://www.cdc.gov/NCBDDD/fas/documents/...

Brief Outline of Diagnostic criteria for Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Facial dysmorphia

Based on racial norms, individual exhibits all three characteristic facial features:

a) Smooth philtrum (University of Washington Lip-Philtrum Guide rank 4 or 5)

b) Thin vermillion border (University of Washington Lip-Philtrum Guide rank 4 or 5)

c) Small palpebral fissures (at or below 10th percentile )

Growth problems

Confirmed prenatal or postnatal height or weight, or both, at or below the 10th percentile, documented at any one point in time (adjusted for age, s*x, gestational age, and race or ethnicity).

Central Nervous System Abnormalities

I. Structural

1) Head circumference (OFC) at or below the 10th percentile adjusted for age and s*x.

2) Clinically significant brain abnormalities observable through imaging.

II. Neurological

Neurological problems not due to a postnatal insult or fever, or other soft neurological signs outside normal limits.

III. Functional

Performance substantially below that expected for an individual's age, schooling, or circumstances, as evidenced by:

1. Global cognitive or intellectual deficits representing multiple domains of deficit (or significant developmental delay in younger children) with performance below the 3rd percentile (2 standard deviations below the mean for standardized testing) or

2. Functional deficits below the 16th percentile (1 standard deviation below the mean for standardized testing) in at least three of the following domains:

a)cognitive or developmental deficits or discrepancies

b)executive functioning deficits

c)motor functioning delays

d)problems with attention or hyperactivity

e)social skills

f)other, such as sensory problems, pragmatic language problems, memory deficits, etc.

Maternal Alcohol Exposure

I. Confirmed prenatal alcohol exposure

II. Unknown prenatal alcohol exposure

Criteria for FAS Diagnosis Requires all three of the following findings:

1 Documentation of all three facial abnormalities (smooth philtrum, thin vermillion border, and small palpebral fissures);

2. Documentation of growth deficits

3. Documentation of CNS abnormality

EDIT:

Usually I don't care about thumbs down, even when people give them strictly for someone relaying a personal experience.  But, I'm in a wiseacre mood tonight, so whoever gave my post the thumbs down, I'll let the CDC know someone doesn't like their guideline for diagnostic criteria.  Considering that my post is almost entirely an excerpt from the CDC's guideline, I just thought it was kind of funny when I saw the thumbs down. </smart*ss>

Answer 11

FAS is NOT more prevalent among adopted children, just more identified/diagnosed in children who were adopted.  Why?  Two reasons.  One: Adoptive parents want and are entitled to medical histories and health records (if the child is adopted domestically).  Second:  Statistically, more children are placed for adoption from lower income environments (escpecially if an international adoption) where statistically, alcoholism is unfortunately more prevalent.

Answer 12

It takes a HUGE amount of alcohol for a child to suffer from this.  Like  drinks a day, every day during pregnancy.  

A mother who is putting a child up for adoption is more likely to not be emotionally attached, and therefore drink without thinking of the consequences.  Drinking may be the sole reason for putting a child up for adoption.

(iIm not saying that this doesn't happen with other mothers or that ALL adopted mothers don't care about the baby...just that a mother who is ready to raise a child is more likely to be more careful of the consequences of her actions.  )

Answer 13

This is a quote:

"FAS is a medical condition that has physical as well as mental and neurological criteria that must be met in order to make a diagnosis. Both adopted and non-adopted children are diagnosed. The suggestions that birth mothers are alcoholics and drug addicts and therefore children who are adopted must have come from alcoholics and drug addicts is not only unfounded, but adds no actual facts to the discussion.

FAS also occurs to a small degree in some and a larger degree in others. One of the important factors noted in the CDC's outline is that other diagnoses that may be the cause of symptoms must be ruled out before a diagnosis of FAS is made.

Here is an excerpt taken from the CDC's outline for diagnonsis of FAS. The full text can be found here:

http://www.cdc.gov/NCBDDD/fas/documents/...

Brief Outline of Diagnostic criteria for Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Facial dysmorphia

Based on racial norms, individual exhibits all three characteristic facial features:

a) Smooth philtrum (University of Washington Lip-Philtrum Guide rank 4 or 5)

b) Thin vermillion border (University of Washington Lip-Philtrum Guide rank 4 or 5)

c) Small palpebral fissures (at or below 10th percentile )

Growth problems

Confirmed prenatal or postnatal height or weight, or both, at or below the 10th percentile, documented at any one point in time (adjusted for age, s*x, gestational age, and race or ethnicity).

Central Nervous System Abnormalities

I. Structural

1) Head circumference (OFC) at or below the 10th percentile adjusted for age and s*x.

2) Clinically significant brain abnormalities observable through imaging.

II. Neurological

Neurological problems not due to a postnatal insult or fever, or other soft neurological signs outside normal limits.

III. Functional

Performance substantially below that expected for an individual's age, schooling, or circumstances, as evidenced by:

1. Global cognitive or intellectual deficits representing multiple domains of deficit (or significant developmental delay in younger children) with performance below the 3rd percentile (2 standard deviations below the mean for standardized testing) or

2. Functional deficits below the 16th percentile (1 standard deviation below the mean for standardized testing) in at least three of the following domains:

a)cognitive or developmental deficits or discrepancies

b)executive functioning deficits

c)motor functioning delays

d)problems with attention or hyperactivity

e)social skills

f)other, such as sensory problems, pragmatic language problems, memory deficits, etc.

Maternal Alcohol Exposure

I. Confirmed prenatal alcohol exposure

II. Unknown prenatal alcohol exposure

Criteria for FAS Diagnosis Requires all three of the following findings:

1 Documentation of all three facial abnormalities (smooth philtrum, thin vermillion border, and small palpebral fissures);

2. Documentation of growth deficits

3. Documentation of CNS abnormality

EDIT:

Usually I don't care about thumbs down, even when people give them strictly for someone relaying a personal experience. But, I'm in a wiseacre mood tonight, so whoever gave my post the thumbs down, I'll let the CDC know someone doesn't like their guideline for diagnostic criteria. Considering that my post is almost entirely an excerpt from the CDC's guideline, I just thought it was kind of funny when I saw the thumbs down. "

Thank you for saying so succintly what I wanted to say! My third child was born and due to the problems I had with labor and delivery was suspected of having FAS. I did not drink with any of my pregnancies, I was in fact a "model" mother to be. My son was born with the hallmarks of FAS and the only way I proved differently was to have DNA testing done. He does have Asperger Syndrome which can mimic FAS. I urge every parent, whether adoptive or natural to have testing done fo Autism in order to be completely sure their child does not have FAS, which is a horrible and terrible thing.

Answer 14

FAS is a serious condition. Not only adopted children suffer from FAS.

Answer 15

Isn't fetal alcohol syndrome identified at birth by the doctors?  If so, then I would hesitate to say that it could just as easily be associated to the adoption.  

Many of the children who have been diagnosed with FAS are children in the foster care program, which means they were removed from their parents most probably because of the diagnosis along with other things.  I do not believe it is the adoptive parent who "labels" the child as suffering from this syndrome, but rather the doctors and the state.  If anything, I would say that is the reason it may seem more prevalent among adoptees.

Answer 16

It is not only adoptive children who have FAS, but alot of mothers who end up keeping their baby who drink essiesivly. I was what they would say, "What looked like FAS" My biological mother never drank with me. Her and my father both say, that she never drank with either child.. me or my brother...

Answer 17

They don't. You may "suspect" whatever you like. This has nothing to do with adoption nor adoptive parents. It has everything to do with birth mothers who drink and take drugs.

Answer 18

Probably because someone who really wanted children would be responsible enough not to drink or do drugs.

It's so sad.....If people don't want kids....don't do things to hurt them! It's not their fault! Just take the steps needed NOT to become pregnant. Make smart choices. It's not like that's too much to ask. These are LIVES that we're dealing with. ....People are just selfish these days i think.

Answer 19

Just something else to blame adoptive families for.  I have never seen any research done that would correlate the 2, being diagnosed with FAS and having been adopted.  Have you?  Or are you just trying to find something else to get ticked off about?  My goodness, wouldn't you rather a child have this diagnosis early enough so that the parents could address it appropriately?  BTW, FAS is not only diagnosed by emotional and learning issues.  Some actually have physical featues.  If research was to be done regarding your "theory" then all of that has to be taken into account.  HOw many of these adopted children were diagnosed based on just the primal wound issues you are referring to and then how many had the actual physical features and then how many had been born to known alcoholics?  Please, enough already with the blaming adoptive families.  I include a link to show you that FAS diagnosis' are not just made at random here, Doctors actually make these conclusions based on a criteria......there are PLENTY of children that go undiagnosed (so sad) in all types of families.

Answer 20

You answer your own question...

If your child is born with FAS it is reported to CPS and you get investigated.  Most women I know stopped drinking well before they got pregnant, or stopped drinking immediately once they found out.  Every doctor recommends it and it is well understood.  If you are a mother who does not care enough to stop drinking... then what sort of mother are you likely to be after the child is born.

So, would I 'blame' a mother for the FAS... Yes.  She made a decision to drink while pregnant.  Would you really want to be brought up by someone who does not care enough about you to stop drinking?

Answer 21

My wife has worked with juvenile delinquents for 2 decades and hundreds of children. Many suffered from FAS. Only 2 of her clients were adopted. Neither had this condition.  So maybe it's just your perspective from association with adoption? Just a thought.