What is Fetal Alcohol Syndrome?
Fetal alcohol syndrome is a group of problems in children born to mothers who drank alcohol during their pregnancy. These babies are usually small and underweight. They often have small eyes and a small head. They often have birth defects such as delayed development, heart defects and vision or hearing problems. As they grow older, they may have behavior problems. The most serious problem is mental retardation.
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is one of a number of birth defects that falls under Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. These birth defects are caused when the mother drinks during her pregnancy. According to the March of Dimes, 40,000 babies are born each year with some degree of “alcohol-related damage.” Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is the most common known cause of mental retardation, and it is the only cause that is entirely preventable. When the mother drinks, the alcohol passes through her system and into the baby through the placenta. Since the baby is much smaller and not as well developed, the alcohol remains in the baby’s body for a much longer period of time, at much higher levels. This can cause life-long damage to the child. No level of alcohol use during pregnancy is safe. Since a woman may not know for several weeks or months, anyone who may be pregnant or is trying to get pregnant, should not use alcohol in any amount. [http://www.marchofdimes.com/professionals/14332_1170.asp.
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is a cluster of irreversible birth abnormalities that are the direct result of heavy drinking during pregnancy. Alcohol, like most other drugs, passes easily through the mother’s placenta and into the fetal bloodstream. In the fetus, the alcohol depresses the central nervous system and must be metabolized by the immature liver of the fetus, which cannot effectively process this toxic substance. The alcohol stays in the fetus’s body for a prolonged time (even after leaving the mother’s body) and the unborn child remains intoxicated, possibly suffering withdrawal symptoms after the alcohol is no longer present. Children born with fetal alcohol syndrome typically are smaller in size, have smaller heads, and suffer deformities of limbs, joints, fingers, and face, as well as heart defects. They may also have cleft palate and poor coordination. In some children, FAS does not appear until adolescence, when they exhibit hyperactivity and learning and perceptual dif
When a pregnant woman drinks alcohol, the alcohol is able to cross the placenta and into the bloodstream of the unborn fetus. The presence of alcohol is damaging to the developing fetus, and can cause birth defects, low birth weight, learning disabilities, mental retardation, heart problems, and other medical complications. There is no safe upper limit for drinking during pregnancy; therefore, women are urged not to drink at all during pregnancy or when they think they may be pregnant.
Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is a serious health problem that tragically affects its victims and their families, but that is completely preventable. Causing a child to suffer from fetal alcohol syndrome is really nothing short of child abuse and it lasts for life. Babies born with FAS tend to weigh less and be shorter than normal. They usually suffer from: • smaller heads • deformed facial features • abnormal joints and limbs • poor coordination • problems with learning • short memories 1 Victims of fetal alcohol syndrome often experience mental health problems, disrupted school experience, inappropriate sexual behavior, trouble with the law, alcohol and drug problems, difficulty caring for themselves and their children, and homelessness.
