Did You Know Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Speech Therapy Could Benefit a Child with a Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder?
At Reavis Rehab & Wellness Center, we are dedicated to helping children with a wide range of conditions. Our dedicated physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech therapists have a lot of experience with the pediatric treatment of patients, including those with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, or FASDs.
A Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder can occur in a child upon birth, if the mother drank alcohol during pregnancy. In children with FASDs, their disorder can cause physical, behavioral, and learning issues, and children with FASDs typically display a mix of all three.
If you’d like to learn more about Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders and how our team of Round Rock, TX therapists can help, contact Reavis Rehab & Wellness Center today!
Common signs that a child has a Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
When a mother is pregnant with a child and drinks alcohol during the pregnancy, the alcohol travels through the umbilical cord to the fetus.
This can occur at any stage of pregnancy and can cause issues even if the woman drinks before she knows she is pregnant. However, because brain growth takes place throughout the entirety of the pregnancy, it is important to stop drinking as soon as you know you are pregnant, as more damage is done the later it is into the fetus’ development.
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder is essentially an umbrella term to refer to a large range of side effects that can occur to a child if his or her mother drank alcohol during the pregnancy. It is important to note that FASDs affect everyone in different ways, and no two children with a Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder may display their disorder in the same way.
That being said, according to the Centers for Disease Control, some of the most common symptoms of FASDs include, but are not limited to:
- Low body weight
- Poor coordination
- Hyperactive behavior
- Difficulty with attention
- Poor memory
- Difficulty in school (especially with math)
- Learning disabilities
- Speech and language delays
- Intellectual disability or low IQ
- Poor reasoning and judgment skills
- Sleep and sucking problems as a baby
- Vision or hearing problems
- Problems with the heart, kidneys, or bones
- Shorter-than-average height
- Small head size
- Abnormal facial features, such as a smooth ridge between the nose and upper lip (this ridge is called the philtrum)
Reavis Rehab & Wellness Center is here for you
If your child has been diagnosed with a Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, Reavis Rehab & Wellness Center is here for you. Our Round Rock, TX physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech therapists will work with you and your child to reverse as many of the aforementioned symptoms as possible.
If you are interested in learning more, contact our Round Rock, TX physical therapy office today!
