Foetal Alcohol Syndrome in a Nigerian Infant: A Case Report

Abstract

Foetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is the most severe form of foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). Alcohol and its metabolite, acetaldehyde, interfere with foetal development by disrupting cellular differentiation and growth, DNA and protein synthesis, and inhibiting cell migration. The diagnosis is based on the history of maternal alcohol consumption, characteristic facial anomalies, growth retardation, and central nervous system (CNS) involvement.

The syndrome is a leading cause of intellectual disability in the United States, but no such data is available in Nigeria. This is a report of a case of a term female neonate, delivered at approximately 38 weeks gestation through emergency Caesarean section. The mother consumed several bottles of 250ml of alcohol (local gin) from the second week of pregnancy to the tenth week to terminate the undesired pregnancy. At birth, the infant had short palpebral fissures, low-lying ears, a smooth philtrum, a flattened nasal bridge, a very thin upper lip, and a high-arched palate. The birth weight was 2.48kg, the occipitofrontal circumference was 33cm, and the length was 48cm. The infant was discharged seven days after admission with a weight of 2.35kg and was followed up at the outpatient clinic. Two weeks after discharge, despite adequate feeding through exclusive breastfeeding and supplemental expressed breast milk, the infant’s body weight further dropped to 2.2kg.