Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Essay

The fetus is not the only one harmed by alcohol consumption during pregnancy, but the mother is as well. In fact, many doctors urge women who think they are pregnant or are trying to get pregnant to stop drinking (“Fetal Alcohol”). “One percent of all mothers consume fourteen or more drinks per week during the three months before pregnancy” (Walsh 3). To the average person one percent is not too large of a proportion. However, the volume of alcohol consumed is high during

Most beer is up to 5-6% alcohol with craft beers containing 8-9% alcohol, wine is 8–14% alcohol, and liquor is typically 35–45%

Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is physical and mental damage in a child due to alcohol exposure while in the womb. Every year, 1 in 750 infants in the U.S. are born with fetal alcohol syndrome, which is the leading known preventable cause of birth defects in the U.S. Another 40,000 children are born with fetal alcohol effects. Some infants born with fetal alcohol syndrome have symptoms such as a low birth weight, small head circumference, and facial abnormalities (e.g. smaller eye openings, flattened cheekbones, etc.). Children born with fetal alcohol syndrome also experience developmental delay, organ dysfunction, lack of imagination or curiosity, and behavioral problems (including hyperactivity, anxiety, impulsiveness, and social withdrawal. Some other symptoms include poor coordination, learning difficulties, poor social skills, and epilepsy. These symptoms are the same ones that children with fetal alcohol effects, but children with fetal alcohol effects experience them display them to a lesser degree.

Fetal alcohol syndrome, or FAS, is a condition that is caused by alcohol use during pregnancy. Doctors have repeatedly warned about the dangers of alcohol use during pregnancy. However, some women still choose to drink while they are pregnant. It is estimated that one in 750 babies in America are born with FAS.

FAS is defined as a medical diagnosis involving four key features: alcohol exposure, growth deficiently, certain facial features, and brain damage. Infants who have been exposed to prenatal alcohol rarely show all symptoms of the medical condition FAS. Other terms have been used to describe the implication involved with FAS. Frequently used terms are: Partial Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Alcohol-related Neurodevelopmental Disorder and Alcohol-related Birth Defects. A child with Partial Fetal Alcohol syndrome exhibits only some of the physical signs of FAS and will likely have both learning and behavioral difficulties. A child suffering from Alcohol-related Neurodevelopmental Disorder will demonstrate signs of neural damage, problems with memory, poor social skills, and learning difficulties. Children diagnosed with

333). Clearly the incidence of this syndrome could be greatly reduced, and possibly prevented, through education on the topic. This paper will present the metabolic basis of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, the pathogenic basis for brain and facial anomalies associated with FAS, and the effects of maternal alcohol consumption on the immune system. Characteristics of diagnosing FAS will follow the discussion of those factors causing the symptoms of this disease.

The National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome states "Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is the name given to a group of physical and mental birth defects that are the direct result of a woman's drinking during pregnancy" (NOFAS 1). Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is the only disease that is one

The first class was termed “FAS with and without confirmed alcohol exposure”. This means that the infant has the more severe symptoms of FAS, which includes both neurodevelopmental disorders and birth defects caused by drinking alcohol during pregnancy. The second class is called “Partial FAS”. This diagnosis means that the infant has some of the signs and symptoms of FAS but ultimately does not have enough of the symptoms to be able to be diagnosed with FAS. The third class is called “Alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disabilities (ARND)”. This means that the intellectual disabilities or behavior and learning problems that the infant is born with is caused by the alcohol that they consumed while still in the womb. The fourth and final class is called “Alcohol-related birth defects (ARBD)”. This means that any physical defects that the infant is born with is caused by the alcohol that the mother consumed while pregnant. In 2005, Dr. H. Eugene Hoyme revised the Institute of Medicine (IOM) guidelines. The classes ARBD an ARND were redefined, along with the degree of growth, how much the deficiency effects the patients overall growth, and how many minor physical defects are required to diagnosis someone with FAS (“Clinical Approach to Diagnose

The results of drinking alcohol with a baby in the womb can be very serious. There are a range of effects that can occur to the child exposed. The most serious result of drinking during pregnancy is Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). Some of the effects of FAS are hyperactivity, short attention span, learning problems, behavioral issues, delayed development, and abnormal facial features. The abundance of problems the child will have all depends on the amount of alcohol consumed by the mother during pregnancy.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is a disorder that occurs when a mother consumes alcohol while pregnant. Individuals with FAS may face many problems such as, bad vision, hearing impairments, memory difficulty, communicative hurdles, and much more (Bergen & Yu, 2012). In began in 1981 when expecting mothers were advised not to drink while pregnant (Alcohol Policies Project, n.d). However, is 1995 4 times more mothers were consuming alcohol in comparison to a few years earlier in 1991 (Alcohol Policies Project, n.d). In addition, 52 percent of women ages 18-34 claimed to have been consuming alcohol while pregnant (Alcohol Policies Project, n.d). The reason for a mothers decision to drink is unknown, it could possibly be that mothers have read reports

Alcohol is known as one the most dangerous teratogens. Every time a pregnant woman drinks, she allows alcohol to enter her blood stream and make its way into the placenta. Unlike the mother, the fetus is unable to break down alcohol that makes the blood alcohol level of the fetus the same or higher than the mother (Burk, 2013). Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), and prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) are considered some of the most serious consequences of maternal drinking during pregnancy. Children can exhibit physical abnormalities such as a flat mid-face, a thin upper lip, a smooth groove between the nose and upper lip, along with growth retardation, and cognitive difficulties. The affected children also have cognitive difficulties which include intelligence, language, memory, and learning (Wacha & Obrzut, 2007).

     Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS, hereinafter), is a series of both mental and physical birth defects that can include, but are not limited to, mental retardation, deficiencies in growth, central nervous system dysfunction, behavioral maladjustments, and craniofacial

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, is used to describe the various side effects that come with exposure to alcohol before birth.

Alcohol-related birth defects that may be present to those born with FAS can easily be identified because of the cluster of characteristic features involving facial appearance, growth and brain damage. Children born to mothers that drink heavily in pregnancy may also have serious congenital birth defects such as :

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) refers to a group of physical and mental birth defects resulting from a women’s drinking alcohol heavily or at crucial stages during pregnancy. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome was first named and treated in the late 1960's. This condition results from the toxic effect of alcohol and its chemical factors on the developing fetus. FAS is the leading cause of mental retardation occurring in 1 out of every 750 births. The frequency of FAS occurs about 1.9 times out of every 1000 births according to the latest figures, and minor effects can be seen in up to 20% of pregnancies per year. This number changes drastically for women who are clearly alcoholics. As high as 29 children out of every 1000 births will suffer from FAS