Fetal Alcohol Syndrome : Symptoms

A baby with fetal alcohol syndrome may have the following symptoms: Poor growth while the baby is in the womb and after birth; Decreased muscle tone and poor coordination; Delayed development and significant functional problems in three or more ma...

Alcohol is readily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract into a pregnant woman's bloodstream and circulates to the fetus by crossing the placenta. Here it interferes with the ability of the fetus to receive sufficient oxygen and nourishment for...

Classic features of FAS include short stature, low birthweight and poor weight gain, microcephaly, and a characteristic pattern of facial features. These facial features in infants and children may include small eye openings (measured from inner c...

Classic features of FAS include short stature, low birth weight and poor weight gain, microcephaly, and a characteristic pattern of facial features. These facial features in infants and children may include small eye openings (measured from inner ...

FAS is not a genetic or inherited disorder. It is a pattern of birth defects, learning, and behavioral problems that are the result of maternal alcohol use during the pregnancy. The alcohol freely crosses the placenta and causes damage to the deve...

Classic features of FAS include short stature, low birth weight and poor weight gain, microcephaly, and a characteristic pattern of facial features. These facial features in infants and children may include small eye openings (measured from inner ...

Detailed information on the crying patterns of newborns

All babies cry. They may cry for as long as a few hours each day. Crying is how babies communicate their feelings or needs. Your baby may cry because he has a wet diaper or is hungry. Or it may be that he just wants you to hold him.

Some babies cry for long stretches at 3 and 12 weeks of age during steps in development when their sleep is less settled.

Microcephaly describes a head size significantly below normal for a person's age and sex, based on standardized charts. Head size is measured as the distance around the top of the head.

Detailed information on microcephaly, including causes, symptoms, and diagnosis

A birth defect characterized by an abnormally small head, a receding forehead, and large ears and nose. The condition often signals an abnormally small brain and the presence of other disorders such as cerebral palsy. Microcephaly can be caused by genetic and chromosomal abnormalities, or by environmental factors such as prenatal radiation exposure, prenatal infections (rubella, toxoplasmosis), and maternal drug use. Women with phenylketonuria (PKU) who do not maintain a low-protein diet during pregnancy are also at risk for having babies with microcephaly. Microcephaly is occasionally obvious at birth, particularly if the fontanelle, or soft spot, is closed. It is typically diagnosed by measuring the circumference of the baby's head. Sometimes this measurement can be taken in utero through ultrasound waves. The child's physical growth is usually retarded, and he or she suffers delays in speech and mental development. Some children have seizures, crossed eyes, and spastic paralysis. The treatment for a microcephalic child is essentially therapeutic, depending on the attending disabilities. The parents may need to learn special feeding techniques if the child's swallowing techniques are underdeveloped. Physical therapy can improve the child's coordination and strengthen or relax the muscles. Seizures and involuntary movements can be prevented by drugs such as anticonvulsants and muscle relaxers. Wheelchairs and orthopedic devices can aid mobility. Speech therapy can help the child to overcome communication difficulties.

Microcephaly is a neurological disorder where the distance around the largest portion of the head (the circumference) is less than should normally be the case in an infant or a child. The condition can be evident at birth, or can develop within the first few years following birth. The smaller than normal head restricts the normal growth and development of the brain.

A developmental delay is any significant lag in a child's physical, cognitive, behavioral, emotional, or social development, in comparison with norms.

Any delay in a child's physical, cognitive, behavioral, emotional, or social development, due to any number of reasons. Developmental delay refers to any significant retardation in a child's physical, cognitive, behavioral, emotional, or social development. The two most frequent reasons for classing a child as having developmental delay involve those psychological systems for which there are good norms. This is especially true for motor development and language development. Because it is known that all children begin to crawl by eight months of age and walk by the middle of the second year, any child who was more than five or six months delayed in attaining those two milestones would probably be classified as developmentally delayed and the parents should consult the pediatrician. Most children begin to speak their first words before they are eighteen months old and by three years of age the vast majority are speaking short sentences. Therefore, any child who is not speaking words or sentences by the third birthday would be considered developmentally delayed and, as in motor development delay, the parent should consult the pediatrician. The other developmental problems that children show are more often called disabilities rather than delays. Thus, the small group of children with autism do not show normal social development but these children are usually called disabled or autistic rather than developmentally delayed. Similarly, most children are able to read single words by the second grade of elementary school. Children who cannot do that are normally labeled dyslexic or learning disabled, or in some cases academically delayed, rather than developmentally delayed. Physical development is assessed by progress in both fine and gross motor skills. Possible problems are indicated by muscles that are either too limp or too tight. Jerky or uncertain movements are another cause for concern, as are abnormalities in reflexes. Delays in motor development may indicate the presence of a neurological condition such as mild cerebral palsy or Tourette's syndrome. Neurological problems may also be present when a child's head circumference is increasing either too fast or too slowly. Although physical and cognitive delays may occur together, one is not necessarily a sign of the other. Important cognitive attainments that physicians look for in infants in the first 18 months include object permanence, an awareness of causality, and different reactions to strangers and family members. Cognitive delays can signal a wide variety of problems, including fetal alcohol syndrome and brain dysfunction. Developmental milestones achieved and then lost should also be investigated, as the loss of function could be sign of a degenerative neurological condition. Delays in social and emotional development can be among the most difficult for parents, who feel rejected by a child's failure to respond to them on an emotional level. They expect such responses to social cues as smiling, vocalization, and cuddling, and may feel angry or frustrated when their children do not respond. However, a delay in social responses can be caused by a number of factors, including prenatal stress or deprivation, prematurity, birth difficulties, including oxygen deprivation, or a hypersensitivity of the nervous system (which creates an aversion to stimuli that are normally tolerated or welcomed). Many physicians routinely include developmental screening in physical examinations. Parents concerned about any aspect of their child's development are generally advised to seek the opinion of a pediatrician or appropriate specialist. Specific assessment instruments such as the Gesell Development Scales and the Bayley Scales of Infant Development are used to help determine whether an infant is developing at a rate appropriate to the child's age.

Agitation is an unpleasant state of extreme arousal, increased tension, and irritability.

Mental retardation is a condition diagnosed before age 18 that includes below-average general intellectual function, and a lack of the skills necessary for daily living.

Below-average intellectual abilities that are present before the age of 18 and interfere with developmental processes and with the ability to function normally in daily life (adaptive behavior). The term mental retardation is commonly used to refer to people with an intelligence quotient (IQ) below 70. An IQ of 80-130 is considered the normal range, and 100 is considered average. According to the definition in the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV), a mentally retarded person is significantly limited in at least two of the following areas: self-care, communication, home living, social/inter-personal skills, self-direction, use of community resources, functional academic skills, work, leisure, health, and safety. Mental retardation affects roughly 1% of the American population. According to the U.S. Department of Education, about 11% of school-aged children were enrolled in special education programs for students with mental retardation. There are four categories of mental retardation: mild, moderate, severe, and profound. The roughly 80% of retarded persons who are classified as mildly retarded have an IQ between 50 or 55 and 70. Mild retardation, which may not be detected in early childhood, usually involves little sensorimotor impairment. Persons in this category can be educated up to a sixth-grade level. With adequate vocational guidance, they can live and work productively in the community as adults, either independently or with some degree of supervision. About 10% of retarded persons are classified as moderately retarded, with IQs generally between 35 and 50. Although they usually do not progress beyond the second-grade level academically, as adults they can take care of themselves within supervised settings and perform unskilled or semiskilled work. Persons with severe retardation, who account for 3-4% of the retarded population, have serious language and motor impairment. They usually do not speak in early childhood but can learn communication and basic self-care during the school years. Their language skills may be limited to the most basic functional words necessary to meet their daily needs. As adults, they live either with their families, in group homes, or, when necessary, in facilities that can provide skilled medical or nursing care. Profound retardation, which accounts for 1-2% of the retarded population, is usually associated with a neurological condition. It is characterized by severe sensorimotor difficulties beginning in early childhood and serious long-term limitations on both communication and the ability to care for oneself. Some profoundly retarded individuals are never able to speak or to be toilet trained. Most need constant care throughout their lives. In addition to the categories of mild, moderate, severe, and profound retardation, separate categories are sometimes used to designate those retarded persons who can benefit from some degree of academic training. Those designated "educable mentally retarded" (EMR) can handle academic work at a third- to sixth-grade level, and usually have IQs that fall between 50 and 75. The "trainable mentally retarded" (TMR) have IQs of between 30 and 50 and can progress as far as second-grade RATE OF MENTAL RETARDATION AMONG SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN BY U.S. STATE, 1993 State Children aged 6-17 with mental retardation per 1,000 population State Children aged 6-17 with mental retardation per 1,000 population Alabama 31.4 Montana 7.1 Alaska 5.0 Nebraska 15.3 Arizona 7.7 Nevada 6.6 Arkansas 23.1 New Hampshire 4.0 California 4.5 New Jersey 3.2 Colorado 4.2 New Mexico 5.6 Connecticut 7.1 New York 5.7 Delaware 14.4 North Carolina 19.5 District of Columbia 13.5 North Dakota 8.9 Florida 14.8 Ohio 22.5 Georgia 20.0 Oklahoma 19.7 Hawaii 8.0 Oregon 7.6 Idaho 12.1 Pennsylvania 14.0 Illinois 10.4 Rhode Island 5.9 Indiana 17.8 South Carolina 21.9 Iowa 21.2 South Dakota 9.3 Kansas 10.9 Tennessee 14.3 Kentucky 25.5 Texas 6.4 Louisiana 12.9 Utah

Detailed information on craniofacial anomalies, including Cleft Lip, Cleft Palate, Craniosynostosis, Deformational Plagiocephaly, Hemifacial Microsomia, Vascular Malformations, and Hemangiomas

Detailed information on craniofacial anomalies, including cleft lip, cleft palate, craniosynostosis, hemifacial microsomia, vascular malformation, hemangioma, and deformational plagiocephaly

Glossary of terms relating to craniofacial anomalies in children

List of online resources to find additional information on cardiovascular disorders in children

Detailed information on craniofacial anomalies, including Cleft Lip, Cleft Palate, Craniosynostosis, Deformational Plagiocephaly, Hemifacial Microsomia, Vascular Malformations, and Hemangiomas

Detailed information on craniofacial anomalies and the craniofacial anomaly treatment team

Delayed growth is poor or abnormally slow height or weight gains in a child younger than age 5. See also: Short stature

When children believe they are different in some way, they feel bad. Whether because of their height or some other characteristic, they are going to be aware of differences.

Tremors are a type of involuntary shaking movement. Involuntary means you shake without trying to do so. See also: Drug-induced tremor; Essential tremor; Familial tremor; Hand tremor.

Tremor is an unintentional (involuntary) rhythmical alternating movement that may affect the muscles of any part of the body. Tremor is caused by the rapid alternating contraction and relaxation of muscles and is a common symptom of diseases of the nervous system (neurologic disease).

Tremor is an unintentional (involuntary), rhythmical alternating movement that may affect the muscles of any part of the body. Tremor is caused by the rapid alternating contraction and relaxation of muscles and is a common symptom of diseases of the nervous system (neuro-logic disease).

Tremor is an unintentional (involuntary), rhythmical alternating movement that may affect the muscles of any part of the body. Tremor is caused by the rapid alternating contraction and relaxation of muscles and is a common symptom of diseases of the nervous system (neurologic disease).

An infant born with a weight of less than five pounds (2,500 grams) at birth is classified as a low birth weight infant. Babies with low birth weight were either born prematurely or are small for their age because their growth was restricted in the womb. Poor maternal health and nutrition may cause low birth weight. Risk factors include inadequate prenatal nutrition, smoking during pregnancy, and infection during pregnancy. Low birth weight infants face a higher risk of death within the first year of life and have higher rates of disability and disease than other infants. Low birth weight is a leading cause of infant mortality throughout world. Amy N. Marlow

Detailed information on low birthweight, including causes, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention

Hyperactivity is a state of too much muscle activity. This term is also used to describe a situation when a particular portion of the body is too active, such as when a gland produces too much of its particular hormone. See also: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

Skeletal limb abnormalities refer to a variety of bone structure problems in the arms or legs (limbs.

A low nasal bridge is a flattening of the top part of the nose.