Table 1 Reported rate and clinical characteristics of children with fetal alcohol syndrome
Reported rate per 105per annum (95% CI)†
Children aged <15 years at diagnosis (total population)0.58 (0.46 to 0.71)
    Non-Indigenous population0.18 (0.12 to 0.27)
    Indigenous population (p<0.001)8.11 (6.19 to 10.44)
Children aged <5 years at diagnosis (total population)1.14 (0.87 to 1.47)
    Non-Indigenous population0.37 (0.22 to 0.59)
    Indigenous population (p<0.001)14.60 (10.22 to 20.22)
Clinical characteristics(n = 92)*, n (%)
Sex (male)49 (53.3)
Gestation <37 weeks (n = 84)30 (35.7)
    Mean (SD) gestation (weeks)37.4 (2.68)
Birth weight <2.5 kg (n = 82)53 (64.6)
    Mean (SD) birth weight (kg)2.36 (0.53)
Median age at FAS diagnosis in years (range)3.26 (newborn to 11.9)
    Diagnosis at birth6 (6.5)
    Diagnosis at age <1 year22 (23.9)
    Diagnosis at age <2 years36 (39.1)
    Diagnosis at age <5 years58 (63)
Diagnostic features
    Facial features (any)92 (100)
        Smooth philtrum89 (96.7)
        Thin upper lip87 (94.6)
        Short palpebral fissure56 (60.9)
        All of the above features53 (57)
    Growth restriction (n = 91)51 (56.0)
        Normal40 (44.0)
        Prenatal only22 (24.2)
        Postnatal only18 (19.8)
        Both prenatal and postnatal11 (12.1)
    CNS structural abnormality (any)50 (54.3)
        Microcephaly (HC <3rd percentile) alone45 (48.9)
        Microcephaly plus other structural defect‡4 (4.3)
        Structural defect alone (agenesis corpus callosum)1 (1.1)
    CNS dysfunction79 (85.9)
        Speech/language disorder55 (59.8)
        Fine motor delay46 (50.0)
        Intellectual impairment45 (48.9)
        Behavioural problems45 (48.9)
        Gross motor delay33 (35.9)
        Poor coordination36 (39.1)
        Emotional problems26 (28.3)
        Abnormal muscle tone20 (21.7)
        Abnormal deep tendon reflexes12 (13)
        Refractory error7 (7.6)
        Seizure disorder6 (6.5)
        Tremor6 (6.5)
        Sensorineural hearing loss5 (5.4)
        Visual impairment4 (4.3)
        Nystagmus2 (2.2)

  • *n = 92 unless otherwise stated.

  • †Rates calculated using population estimates for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous populations from the Australian Bureau of Statistics for the years of the study. p<0.001 indicates the difference in reported rates between Indigenous and non-Indigenous children in each age group.

  • ‡Structural defects of the central nervous system (CNS) included agenesis of the corpus callosum, absent pituitary stalk, thalamic cyst, cerebral atrophy, subcortical gliosis, delayed white matter myelination and abnormal cerebellum.

  • HC, head circumference.