What is FAE?
There is much confusion about the varied terminology used to describe an individual affected by prenatal exposure to alcohol. Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and other conditions associated with prenatal exposure to alcohol refer to a group of physical and mental birth defects. These birth defects are medical and disability conditions diagnosed by a physician, in partnership with other trained professionals. As we all know, securing a diagnosis can be difficult because the characteristics associated with prenatal exposure to alcohol are often subtle and may go unrecognized or be misdiagnosed or mislabeled. Fetal alcohol effects (FAE) is a term that has traditionally been used to categorized all of those individuals affected by prenatal exposure to alcohol that did not meet the criteria for fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). FAS is a medical diagnosis that requires the presence of the following four criteria: 1. Delayed prenatal and/or postnatal growth (resulting in height and/or weight below t
