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Glite Dictionary
fetal alcohol syndrome

fetal alcohol syndrome

3 4.2
A condition where a baby has physical and learning problems caused by the mother drinking alcohol during pregnancy
  • noun
  • /ˈfiːtəl ˈælkəˌhɔl ˈsɪndroʊm/
  • Specialized
translation icon : síndrome de alcohol fetal
  • Thirty years ago, a diagnosis of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) or other alcohol-related birth defects was rare.
  • Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS)

Examples

  • Our oldest son, Matthew, now sixteen, has fetal alcohol syndrome because his birth mother is an alcoholic, and he experienced brain damage in utero.

    Academic text (2006)

  • Many children with fetal alcohol syndrome require special education services to support their learning.

  • What about the growing numbers of people who suffer from fetal alcohol syndrome?

    Blog text (5)

  • I've been looking for information to ease my mind about fetal alcohol syndrome.

    Blog text (25)

  • Alaska had the highest reported rate of fetal alcohol syndrome at 1.5 per 1,000 live births.

    Academic text (2006)

  • There's something wrong with Pablo's eyes; he has kind of a flat face, like you see in the pictures of fetal alcohol syndrome victims, and his pupils are strange.

    Academic text (2007)

  • A disproportionate number of native children are born with fetal alcohol syndrome, a condition that predisposes them to not working or to the drug-oriented criminal world.

    Academic text (2001)

  • The doctor explained that fetal alcohol syndrome can lead to lifelong developmental challenges.

  • Studies show that early intervention can significantly improve outcomes for those with fetal alcohol syndrome.

Synonyms

birth defect
vsfetal alcohol syndrome
  • Specialized
30 3.2

A health problem a baby has when they are born

is specifically due to alcohol exposure during the pregnancy
FAS
vsfetal alcohol syndrome
  • Specialized
4 8.8

A condition present at birth after a mother drinks alcohol during pregnancy that causes body, face, and learning problems

is the full phrase rather than the abbreviation for the same condition
congenital defect
vsfetal alcohol syndrome
  • Specialized
3 4.2

A problem in the body or how it works that is present at birth

is specifically an impairment from prenatal alcohol exposure
congenital abnormality
vsfetal alcohol syndrome
  • Specialized
1 5.4

A health problem in the body or the way it works that is present when a baby is born

is specifically an impairment caused by maternal alcohol in pregnancy
congenital disease
vsfetal alcohol syndrome
  • Specialized
1 4.3

A health problem present when a baby is born

is specifically caused by maternal alcohol exposure during gestation

Surface Forms

fetal alcohol syndrome singular
fetal alcohol syndromes plural

Morphology

fetal + alcohol + syndrome

The constituents 'fetal' (relating to the fetus), 'alcohol', and 'syndrome' (a set of symptoms) combine compositionally to refer to a set of symptoms affecting a fetus caused by alcohol exposure. This is a literal, medical compound whose meaning is directly inferable from its parts and follows common cross-linguistic naming patterns, so a B1 learner who knows the words can understand it.

Etymology

Fetal alcohol syndrome comes from the image of a baby before birth: fetal means the unborn baby, alcohol is the mother's drinking, and syndrome means a group of health problems. That's why the term refers to a child 'born with' growth and learning problems caused by the mother drinking during pregnancy.