Universal, crossing all cultural, economic, and social boundaries. Common, estimated to occur at a rate of 1.9 per 1,000 live births. One child exposed to alcohol before birth may show FAS, another FAE, and another no signs whatsoever. There is no way to predict which children will be affected and to what degree. FAE is a medical diagnosis that can only be made by a trained physician.
Infants are usually small in height and weight.
They may be jittery and tremulous, such weakly, have feeding difficulties and erratic sleep patterns, and exhibit increased irritability. They may have difficulty getting used to stimulation and be slow to reach developmental milestones such as walking and talking. They can be excessively taIkative or speech-delayed. They may have severe temper tantrums and difficulty making transitions. They can be hyperactive and oversensitive to touch or other stimulation and can have attention deficits, fine motor difficulties and developmental delays.