FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME (FAS) DIAGNOSIS

To establish the diagnosis of FAS, the following signs must be present: 1. Small size and weight before and after birth (pre- and postnatal growth retardation); 2. Brain involvement with evidence for delay in development, intellectual impairment, or neurologic abnormalities; and 3. Specific appearance of the head and face with at least 2 of the following groups of signs: a. Small head size (microcephaly); b. Small eyes (microphthalmia) and/or short eye openings (palpebral fissures); c. Underdevelopment of the upper lip, indistinct groove between the lip and nose (the philtrum), and flattened cheekbones.