Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
| Date posted: | 19 February 2008 | | Last modified: | 19 February 2008 |
WHAT IS FEATAL ALCHOL SYNDROME?
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome or FAS is a characteristic pattern of physical and mental birth deficiencies. FAS is the largest cause of mental retardation in most industrial nations. FAS is more than a disability- it’s a social disorder that causes many of the expensive problems which plague governments and all of us. Few people realize that the severely acting-out teenager, the addicted prostitute, the homeless beggar, or the man charged with killing his girlfriend’s baby may all behave as they do as the result of brain damage caused by their mother’s drinking during pregnancy.
WHAT CAUSES FAS?
Alcohol is the leading known preventable cause of mental and physical birth defects. When a pregnant woman drinks alcohol during pregnancy, she risks giving birth to a child who will pay the price in mental and physical deficiencies for the rest of his or her life.
DIAGNOSIS
Problems associated with FAS tend to intensify as children move into adulthood. These can include mental health problem, troubles with the law and the inability to live independently. Children with FAS are frequently undiagnosed, the behavior can appear as mere belligerence or stubbornness. These kids may score well an intelligence tests, but their behavioral deficits often interfere with their ability to succeed.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF FAS
- Low birth weight
- Small head circumference
- Failure to thrive
- Developmental delay
- Organ dysfunction
- Facial abnormalities, including smaller eye openings, flattened cheekbones and indistinct philtrum (an underdeveloped groove between the nose and the upper lip)
- Epilepsy Poor coordination/fine motor skills
- Poor socialization skils such as difficulty building and maintaining friendships and relating to groups.
- Lack of imagination or curiosity
- Learning difficulties, including poor memory, inability to understand concepts such as time and money, poor language comprehension, poor problem-solving skills.
- Behavioral problems, including hyperactivity, inability to concentrate, social withdrawal, stubbornness, impulsiveness and anxiety.
TREATMENT
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome can be prevented by not drinking any alcohol during pregnancy. Women who abstain from alcohol in early pregnancy may feel comfortable drinking in the final months. Some of the most complex developmental stages in the brain occur in the second and third trimesters, a time when the nervous system can be greatly affected by alcohol. Even moderate alcohol intake, and especially periodic binge drinking can seriously damage a developing nervous system. It is therefore important for women who are thinking about becoming pregnant to adopt healthy behaviors before they get pregnant.
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