Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Case Study

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

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is a pattern of mental, physical, and behavioral defects that may develop in the unborn child when its mother drinks during pregnancy. These defects occur primarily during the first trimester when the teratogenic effects of the alcohol have the greatest effect on the developing organs. The symptoms associated with FAS have been observed for many centuries, but it was not until 1968 that Lemoine and his associates formally described these symptoms in the scientific literature, and again in 1973 when Jones and associates designated a specific pattern of altered growth and dysmorphogenesis as the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (Rostand, p. 302). The set of abnormalities characterized by Jones

“Its the importance of intervening early, ideally in the first year or two of life or even before the child is born” (Kristof 51). Before a child is even born, there is steps every mother can take to ensure a good life for their child. A doctor cant always guarentee that a baby will be healthy, but a mother taking precautions in their own life and health can always give a better chance for a child to live a healthy life. “Within four weeks of conception, a human embryo has formed a neural tube, which then begins to produce brain cells. As the brain is forming, it is shaped by the uterine environment in ways that will affect the child for the rest of his or her life. A mother who drinks alcohol may leave her child with fetal alcohol syndrome,

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

The CDC talks about the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders; the causes, prevention, symptoms, treatment and ways to get help. The FASDs causes the baby to have problems when they are born and throughout their whole life. The cause of FASDs is when a woman drinks alcohol when she’s pregnant, or does not know that she is pregnant will cause problems to herself and the baby. When the mother drinks alcohol it’s in her blood, and it passes to the baby through the umbilical cord (CDC). Obviously, the prevention of FASDs is to avoid alcohol when you’re pregnant or start feeling nausea, morning sickness or any other pregnancy symptoms. The symptom and signs of having this disorder are learning disabilities, poor memory, problem learning math, problems

The best was to prevent Fetal alcohol syndrome is to stay away from any alcohol. Some symptoms of fetal alcohol syndrome is low birth weight, small head circumferences, failure to thrive, developmental delay, organ dysfunction, epilepsy, poor coordination, poor socialization skills, a lack of imagination or curiosity, learning difficulties, behavioral problems, and facial abnormalities: smaller eye openings, flattened cheekbones, and instinct philtrum.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is the medical moniker for deformities and deficiencies that can arise in babies as the result of the mother's consumption of alcohol while pregnant. Any amount of alcohol consumption during pregnancy can contribute to the development of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, and mothers are accordingly warned not to drink during pregnancy. The disorder can result in a number of medical issues including problems with sensory perception and cognitive ability that is permanently impaired.

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.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) happens when a woman drinks alcohol throughout pregnancy. When drank, the alcohol enters the mother’s blood stream and passes to the baby through the umbilical cord, so when a woman drinks alcohol, ultimately, so does the developing fetus. There is not a “right” or safe amount of alcohol that can be consumed during a pregnancy or while trying to get pregnant. Alcohol can cause many problems for a developing baby throughout pregnancy, and even before the woman knows that they are pregnant. There are many preventative measures that can be taken to avoid having a child with FAS, the biggest one being for the mother to not drink alcohol throughout the pregnancy and even when trying to get pregnant. Even if the woman

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is characterized by women who continue to drink during pregnancy that give birth to babies with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) . FASD is an umbrella disorder in which many conditions can be a result from consumption of alcohol during pregnancy. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is classified by pre- and postnatal growth retardation, facial anomalies, and central nervous system dysfunction (Thomas et. al, 1998). Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is the most recognized condition in the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. It is estimated that 6 per 1,000 live births has Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (Coggins, Timler, & Olswang, 2007) and 2,000-12,000 of the 4 million estimated births each year in the United States are likely to have FASD

Through various articles and extensive research, it can be proven that prenatal alcohol exposure has a variety effects on people, children to be more exact. Prenatal alcohol exposure is the most widely recognized reason for mental retardation and the driving preventable reason for birth defects in the United States. Fetal alcohol syndrome is described by a mix of impeded development, face and body mutations, and disorders of the central nervous system. Behavioral, memory, and cognitive deficits are effects that is brought upon prenatal alcohol exposure. People should be more educated on the use of alcohol during pregnancy and its consequences.

Even if all three are criteria are required for the diagnosis of fetal alcohol syndrome, not all children that have been heavily exposed to prenatal alcohol present the three of them, meaning many will go misdiagnosed. In the present study, only 50% of the children that had been heavily exposed to alcohol during pregnancy presented all three characteristic criteria of fetal alcohol syndrome.

Since the discovery of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome specialists have been trying to understand the different affects that alcoholism can have on a fetus. As a result of these studies there have been several terms used to range describe the different effects the alcohol can have on a fetus. They are called Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Fetal Alcohol Effects, Alcohol Related Birth Defects, ,and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, and Alcohol Related Neurological Disorder. There are three primary facial abnormalities that a specialists looks for in order to make an official diagnosis of FAS .These include smooth philtrum,thin vermillion border,and short palpabrel fissures.A documentation is also made about the growth deficits and CNS abnormalities a child with CNS may face. The term “fetal alcohol effects” (FAE)is used to describe negative outcomes of maternal alcoholism that do not meet the criteria for FAS.FAE was first introduced in1978.There was research conducted by a group called Research Society on Alcoholism’s Fetal Alcohol Study Group (FASG) (Rosett 2013). Problems began to arise concerning the use of terminology to distinguish between a diagnosis of FAS and FAE

Alcohol is a TERATOGEN, meaning that it will cause developmental damage to a FETUS or EMBRYO. The degree to which a TERATOGEN wreaks havoc on an unborn child largely depends on four factors: dosage, heredity, age, and additional negative factors. The most vulnerable prenatal period is during the stage of embryonic development, which occurs between the third and eighth weeks of pregnancy. Once alcohol penetrates the PLACENTA and enters the fetal bloodstream it hinders the neurons inside the child’s neural tube, negatively impacting their creation and ability to send signals to one another. The consumption of alcohol during pregnancy can cause FETAL ALCOHOL SPECTRUM DISORDER (FASD), which includes three different levels of severity with the first and most serious level being FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME (FAS).

Studies show individuals that suffer from Fetal Alcohol Syndrome have shown significantly less activation in brain development than others who were not exposed to alcohol in utero. The relationship between brain structure and cognitive functioning were found to be altered as a result of FAS. Other factors include the influence within the mother. Of these factors, included is the socioeconomic status of the mother. Studies show that women of a higher socioeconomic status were more likely to drink during pregnancy. (Gauthier e-1) Addiction within the mother is also an influence. Studies show that women who struggle with an addiction are more likely to put off pregnancy until the problem is resolved, but there are still some who end up in situations such as having a child with a severe deficit caused by FAS. Mothers who have been diagnosed with FAS as an infant or child are more likely to cease drinking while pregnant because they are aware of the debilitating outcomes that occur as a result of alcohol exposure in utero (Gauthier e-1). These outcomes are just a fraction of what occurs when the fetus is exposed to alcohol in