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What do you think about drinking during pregnancy? Do you know what FAS is? Do you want your child to have FAS? Read on and I believe you will come to the same conclusion as I have about FAS.
FAS doesnt sound so bad, but in reality it is. FAS means Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. FAS is a combination of physical and mental defects first evident at a babys birth. FAS is a direct result of a woman drinking alcohol during pregnancy. These defects continue through out the childs life. One in five hundred children are born with FAS.
Your baby is at risk no matter how much liquor you drink. It doesnt matter if its beer, wine, or hard liquor. The chemicals in the liquor quickly pass through into the placenta, which means the baby absorbs as much alcohol as you do. Even a small amount of alcohol is harmful to a developing fetus. A babys blood alcohol concentration is higher then an adults. Therefore, alcohol impairs optimal nutrition for a babys developing tissues and organs. Alcohol impedes fetal brain development, affects intelligence, learning skills, and behaviour. FAS babies have lower IQs. The most serious consequence can even cause mental retardation. The more alcohol a pregnant woman drinks, the greater risk it is to the baby. Key stages of development occur in the first trimester. Parts of development affected during the first trimester are impaired facial features, heart & other organs, bones and central nervous system. The brain develops during all trimesters, therefore; it is affected during the whole pregnancy. Some children experience symptoms in a far greater degree than others.
Characteristics of FAS babies:
Facial characteristics:
Abnormally small head
Low or sunken nasal bridge
Abnormally small eyes
Flat mid-face
Short, upturned nose
Thin upper lip
Small teeth with faulty enamel
Other physical characteristics: Permanent brain damage
Heart and kidney defects
Long-term behavourial problems
Growth problems-shorter and smaller size
Deformed fingers and toes
Deformities of joints, limbs, and fingers
Slow physical growth before and after birth
Impaired vision
Short attention span
Hyperactivity
Extreme nervousness and anxiety
FAS is the most common preventable cause of birth defects. Alcohol produces the most neurobehavourial effects in the fetus than other drugs like cocaine, heroin, or marijuana. FAS causes irreversible physical, mental, and emotional effects. There is no cure or treatment for FAS and the effects last a lifetime. Between 10,000 and 12,000 new cases of FAS are reported each year and many more go undiagnosed.
There is not cure for FAS. Children with FAS can be helped, though. The treatment involves giving them good medical and dental care, and eyeglasses or hearing aids if these are needed, and placing them in special school programs.
FAS has the largest incidence of any major birth defect. In Canada and the United States, of 10,000 births:
3 out of 10,000 will have Muscular Dystrophy
4 out of 10,000 will have HIV infection
4 out of 10,000 will have Cystic Fibrosis
8 out of 10,000 will have Spina Bifida
10 out of 10,000 will have Down Syndrome
20 out of 10,000 will have Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
100 out of 10,000 will have Fetal Alcohol Effects (which will probably never be diagnosed)
FAS Costs:
Some researchers estimate that each individual with FAS costs the taxpayer about $2 million in his or her lifetime, for health problems, special education, psychotherapy and counseling, welfare, crime, and the criminal justice system.
Individuals with FAS in Canada will cost the taxpayers about $600 billion during their lifetime.
Financially and personally we are all affected by the secondary disabilities of FAS, which are:
Learning disabilities
Early school drop-out
Juvenile delinquency
Poverty
Chronic Unemployment
Sexual acting-out (promiscuity, early pregnancy, prostitution or sexual assault)
Mental illness
Homelessness
Violence
Crimes against property
Alcoholism and addiction
Latest News:
April 13, 2005: US House of Representatives staff was briefed on the prevention of FAS, the leading cause of Mental Retardation. The event was held over a complimentary lunch in the Rayburn House Office Building.
March 16, 2005: Washington: Surgeon Generals