Why test for fetal alcohol exposure when there is no treatment available?
There are several reasons why diagnosis of alcohol exposure is important. As with any disease, early diagnosis provides for many more options and treatments than detection at an advanced stage. a. Early diagnosis of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and fetal alcohol effect (FAE) allow newborns to be identified and enrolled into early intervention and treatment programs. New programs are showing dramatic improvements in children identified earlier in life. b. Detection of an alcohol affected child can allow help, intervention and treatment to be offered to the mother, so that future FAS and FAE children may be prevented. c. When cocaine and opiate exposed newborns were first detected, there was no treatment. As programs, understanding and treatments improve, diagnosis at a very early stage can only help the outcome of the child, mother and family.
