Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (CDC)

Symptoms of Fetal Alcohol syndrome are present not only at birth, but also during gestation. Low prenatal growth, and birth weight are common primary signs. A small head, small eye openings, droopy eye lids, a short upturned nose, thin upper lip, and small jaw are just some of the many physical abnormalities that can occur with chronic drinking. The physical birth defects are devastating yet just as much damage is unseen by the naked eye. Central nervous system defects such as Mental Retardation and behavior disorders can be seen. Poor concentration, impulsiveness and lack of judgment have a severe impact on the child's overall development. Children with behavior problems also do worse than normal children in school. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome children have problems paying attention, score lower in mathematics and spelling, and have lower I.Q scores. Not only do these defects get worse as the child ages, the vicious cycle of alcohol abuse is also very likely to continue. Fetal Alcohol syndrome children are more likely to become alcohol dependant adults than children of mothers who did not drink. All the devastating disabilities last a lifetime. Early and accurate diagnosis of Fetal Alcohol

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.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is an increasing problem in our world today. At least 5,000 infants are born each year with FAS, or about one out of every 750 live births, which is an alarming number. In the United States there has been a significant increase in the rate of infants born with FAS form 1 per 10,000 births in 1979 to 6.7 per 10,000 in 1993 (Chang, Wilikins-Haug, Berman, Goetz 1). In a report, Substance Abuse and the American Woman, sent out by the Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, at least one of every five pregnant women uses alcohol and/or other drugs during pregnancy (http:/www.nofas.org/stats.htm). Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) refers to a group of physical and mental birth defects that are the

Symptoms can range from mild to severe.” There are many symptoms/causes of FAS such as: Growth retardation, Unique Facial features; almond shaped eyes, short, upturned nose, flattened cheeks, small jaw, thin upper lip, flattened philtrum, Nervous system problems; Mental retardation, hyperactivity, delayed development of gross motor skills and fine motor skills, impaired language development, memory problems, poor judgement, distractibility, impulsiveness, seizures, and problems with learning. Not only can children have all the following issues but when they’re born they can be premature, have a small skull, and have hearing disorders. That’s not even all the side effects of drinking when your pregnant! A child can suffer from ADD, psychosis, drug and alcohol abuse. Children that are FAS are more likely to be suspended in school, and a higher rate of FAS children end up involved in the criminal justice system. When a woman drinks alcohol while she is pregnant the alcohol travels through her blood stream and across the placenta reaching her fetus. An adult woman’s body can break down alcohol quicker but babies’ bodies are much smaller therefore the alcohol content is much higher in the baby’s

FAS better known as Fetal Alcohol Syndrome can be prevented in any case. Women who openly drink alcohol or take drugs while knowing they are pregnant should in fact be found as a criminal. A law was put into effect this previous July in Tennessee stating that in the case you took drugs or drank while pregnant, you will be charged as a criminal and will be thrown into jail. Merrill Miller (2014) wrote the article What Are Mothers to Do? How a New Tennessee Law Criminalizes Pregnancy and Promotes Religion. This article further explains the law of criminalizing women who openly use drugs including alcohol while pregnant. This law was put into effect to show how narcotics are becoming an issue and our future generation is now paying for it.

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders describes the wide range of effects that can occur if a mother drank alcohol during pregnancy. These effects include physical abnormalities, mental problems, and/or learning disabilities with possible lifelong implications. The child affected is more likely to have trouble in school, problems with the law, participate in high risk behaviors and/or problems with drugs or alcohol. The most severe form of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders is known as fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS).

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) are identified as a category of birth disorders caused by prenatal alcohol exposure. These can include physical or intellectual anomalies, such as cardiac, skeletal, visual, aural, and fine or gross motor problems. (Callanan, 2013) Prevention would involve alcohol use prevention programs for women who are pregnant, and treatment for FAS and FASD would be aimed at helping those affected realize their full potential through both family and individual interventions. While there is no cure for FAS or FASD, appropriate treatments can aide individuals with these diagnoses to minimize the effects.

Also, if your doctor knows to look for FASD- related problems while you are pregnant, he or she can keep an eye on your baby’s health before and after birth. Your doctor will also know to do more tests, if he or she sees needed, as your child grows. The signs of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder don’t always appear at birth. A doctor might be able to point out severe alcohol effects in the child at birth, but, less severe effects, for example learning and/or behavior problems, may not be noticed until the child is in school. According to emedicinehealth, “Sometimes the doctor can find severe problems before the baby is born. If your doctor knows about your alcohol use, he or she can order a test (ultrasound) to look for signs of FAS in your baby, such as heart defects or growth delays. The cause of problems that are found during the test may not be clear. But the findings alert the doctor to any special care a baby may need after he or she is

Many women often get confused under the misconception that it is okay to drink one glass of wine during her pregnancy, but this is false. It is never recommended for a woman to drink during her pregnancy as it can cause Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is a fairly new disorder. Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders are a group of conditions that can occur in a person whose mother drank alcohol during her pregnancy. Unfortunately, the issue has evolved into a moral panic due to the stigma. There is stigma for the mothers for drinking during pregnancy and the children having FASD. While FASD doesn’t discriminate social economic status, in France, it is more likely in low-income women to drink during

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), birth defects results in one of every 33 babies. Teratogens account for 4 out of 5% of birth defects when chemical and drugs are in the system. The use of this or even infections can cause abnormal fetal development.

Alcohol is a teratogen, meaning that is it a substance capable of interfering with the development of an embryo or fetus, causing birth defects (Teratogen). Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, or FASD, is a non-diagnostic umbrella term describing the varying range of effects that can occur as a result of prenatal alcohol exposure. These may include physical, mental, behavioral, and learning disabilities, or a combination of these (Facts). A number of factors are involved in determining the outcome of the child, including the dose and pattern of drinking, the timing of exposure, genetic factors, the nutritional status of the mother, and the use of other toxic substances . Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, or FAS, lies on the extreme end of the

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 :

According to Webster, Magill-Evans, and Pei,”Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) refers to the diagnoses of damage caused to the fetus by alcohol exposure” (2012). It is the cause of abnormalities in children and can include effects such as communicating, socializing, controlling emotions, learning, remembering, understanding and following directions, and daily life skills. Some of the abnormalities caused by this disorder includes wide-set and narrow eyes, growth problems, and nervous system abnormalities. Having this disorder lasts forever so there is no cure for it; only treatment and medicine available to help with the symptoms. In this paper, I will touch base on the human development issues children develop due to this disorder such as sleep disruption, vision deficit, and sensory processing deficits. This disorder is of interest to me because I want to be informed on what effects the children undergo when they have fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and hear studies elaborating on it. It is an interesting topic to me since I am uninformed of that disorder. It would also be of interest to me because learning about the effects they have can help me when working with a client that may have this disorder. It would be better for me to understand her and know where she is coming from. In the social work field I am going to be working with a lot of different people and I want to be well informed of everything and be aware of why people are how they are. It

The article, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Language Development Issues in the Classroom discusses the prevalence of alcohol consumption in pregnant mothers in the United States and how drinking alcohol during pregnancy can lead to babies being born with FAS. Children born with FAS can have problems with expressive and receptive language and/or problems with speech production. In terms of expressive language deficits, children with FAS may have problems with word retrieval and grammar (i.e., using the incorrect verb form in a sentence). Additionally, they may be fluent speakers, however, their speech may be devoid of content. Issues with receptive language can lead to comprehension difficulties, it can impact the child’s memory, sequencing

throughout the full thirty eight weeks of a pregnancy. The most severe cases of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome are typically linked to alcohol consumption within the first trimester of pregnancy, more specifically the first few weeks after conception which can often be before the woman even knows she is pregnant. Physical deformities are the easiest to detect initially and are the first indication that a fetus may have Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Abnormal facial features include small head, low nasal bridge, small eye openings, flat midface, epicanthal folds, thin upper lip, smooth philtrum, underdeveloped jaw, and short nose. Other physical characteristics include deformed limbs and lower/smaller (less than 10th percentile) than average height, weight, and head circumference (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).