Characteristic Facial Features From Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)

Children who were exposed to alcohol during fetal development often have distinctive facial features that may include:

• A small head and flat face.
• Narrow eye openings (slits).
• A short, upturned nose.
• A flattened groove between the nose and the upper lip (philtrum).
• A thin upper lip.

Unless the effects of alcohol exposure are severe, these traits often aren't noticed until the child is about 2 or 3 years of age. Gradually, many of these features become less noticeable starting in the teen years. But a larger-than-average nose may become noticeable by adulthood.

Credits

By	Healthwise Staff
Primary Medical Reviewer	John Pope, MD - Pediatrics
Specialist Medical Reviewer	Ernest L. Abel, PhD - Reproductive Toxicology
Last Revised	March 3, 2011