I think one of the problems of a child who has been diagnosed with FAS is that there is no way of knowing when they are babies, where they will be on the FAS continuum, which could be anywhere between completely normal and horrendously troubled and troublesome.
80% of cases in the UK go undiagnosed. I was involved with a case when working as an independent sw and I visited the foster carers looking after this little girl. She was 8 months at the time, and the minute I saw her I recognised the facial features, lack of a philtrim (the thing between your nose and top lip) very thin top look, mis-shaped head - she was small for dates and her birthmother was a chronic abuser of alcohol. I only knew about FAS because many years ago I had placed a baby for adoption, and I didn't meet the adoptive parent for another 20 years or so and she told me all about the troubles they had had with the baby I placed, and her mother abused alcohol. Thing was I didn't know anything about FAS when I placed this baby. The 8 month baby I mention above had exactly the same facial features as the baby I placed all those years ago and had never heard of FAS.
I mentioned FAS to the foster carers of the 8 mth baby and they looked at each other (they had been fostering for over 30 years) and said this baby reminded them of another baby they had fostered, whose mother abused alcohol.
I spoke to the HV, but she was not interested and was saying that a child could be born addicted to drugs, and can withdraw. I told her that I was aware of this but this is not the case with FAS as alcohol gets through to the placenta and damages the cells of the unborn baby. I read a very good book called "FAS the Hangover without a cure." The GP poo-pooed me as well. The guardian in the case was fortunately someone who had been in my team in Fostering & Adoption for the LA, and she took me seriously and happened to know a specialist medic in Glasgow and the LA reluctantly paid him to assess the child. He found that there was no doubt at all that this baby was a FAS baby. He diagnosed by the facial features and other factors (I think some FAS babies don't necessarily have the facial features) butwarned that like any sydrome it would not be known until the child grew up just where she would be on the continuum.
I was assessing relatives to care for the child on a permanent basis, but when I told them of the problem, after much thought they decided to withdraw their application. I was quite relieved in a way because they already had 3 children and were struggling financially. As my involvement ended at this stage I don't know what happend to the baby.
It's so good to hear of so may positive accounts of people caring for FAS children.