Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Research Paper

According to Seaver, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is birth defects causing learning, and behavioral problems in individuals whose mothers drank alcohol during pregnancy. This disorder is very serious, yet it is recognized as one of the most preventable. This causes major issues, when something so serious could be prevented but is not. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is a problem because it leaves a permanent effect on the unborn child, but some solutions could be educating women and putting up more informational posters and warning labels on products.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is a combination of physical and mental birth defects. When a pregnant woman drinks alcohol she is making her child drink also. However, alcohol itself may not be directly responsible for all (or any) of the features of FAS. What may be responsible are

“Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is an umbrella term describing the range of effects that can occur in an individual whose mother drank alcohol during pregnancy. These effects may include physical, mental, behavioral, and/or learning disabilities with possible lifelong implications” (HHS, 2005). FASD refers to conditions such as: fetal alcohol syndrome including partial FAS, fetal alcohol effects (FAE), alcohol related neurodevelopment disorder, alcohol-related birth defects. The conditions that are involved with FASD can range from mild to severe and it is not likely that two people share the exact same symptoms.

As stated earlier, alcohol has its greatest effect on the developing embryo during the first trimester of pregnancy with its teratogenic effect causing mental retardation as well as characteristic craniofacial abnormalities that are characteristic of the disease. It has also been demonstrated with experimental animal models that there is a clear "dose-response" effect between the amount of alcohol consumed by the mother and the risk that is associated with developing FAS symptoms (Walpole, p. 875). It has been proposed by Walpole and associates that there are various degrees to which the fetus An be effected. Walpole uses the term "fetal alcohol syndrome" to refer to serious effects due to heavy maternal drinking and "fetal alcohol effect" to refer to those effects thought to occur with lower maternal alcohol intake (Walpole, p. 875). Regardless of the degree to which

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

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 is a collection of multiple effects that happen because of exposure to alcohol in utero and can be a very serious problem that is prevalent. Fetal alcohol syndrome was first talked about and described in 1973 (Caley, Dunlap, Shipkey, Rivera, & Winkelman, 2006). Over the years a lot has become known about the dangers of exposing a fetus to alcohol and how common it really is (Caley et al, 2006). According to Krulewitch (2005), 1 in 10 women will consume alcohol after knowing they have become pregnant. Nurses have a key role in providing care and explaining to the newly pregnant mother the effects of consuming alcohol during pregnancy.

Children are born every second of every day on all different parts of the globe. However, before they are introduced into the world they must develop in a special incubator known as the mother’s womb. Throughout the nine months of growth, it is crucial for the mother to consume certain nutrients and avoid harmful substances. In many countries, one of the cognitive disorders is Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). According to Feldman (2009), Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is a disorder that is induced by pregnant women who have consumed alcohol during the duration of their pregnancy, possibly resulting in mental deformity and delayed the growth of the child. Some characteristics of FAS include growth deficiency and central nervous system dysfunction

FAS: Children that had been exposed to high dosages of prenatal alcohol but did not meet at least one of the criteria and could not be diagnosed with fetal

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder is a preventable disorder that affects many youth in our society. It is a cognitive disorder that affects their lives in many different ways such as relationships, education, employment, financially and socially. Olson, Feldman, Streissguth, Sampson, and Brookstein (1998) describe “Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) as a serious developmental disability caused by the teratogenic effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on the growing fetus. FAS are defined by a characteristic pattern of prenatal and/or post-natal growth deficiency, specific cranio facial malformations and variable central nervous system (CNS) dysfunction”. One of the most debilitating affects of the disorder is that it is an invisible disorder if not detected

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

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).

FAS doesn’t 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 baby’s birth. FAS is a direct result of a woman drinking alcohol during pregnancy. These defects continue through out the child’s life. One in five hundred children are born with FAS.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) a condition under the umbrella terms fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). FAS is at the end of the spectrum that needs health care involvement. In other words, it is the condition that needs the most attention. From birth, the baby who has an alcoholic mother is likely to be underweight as an infant. According to Floyd, O’Connor, Sokol et al. (2005), heavy drinking during pregnancy is

Patient education is instrumental in preparing new parents on what to expect during pregnancy and after birth. It is important to teach parents how to care for their infant inside and outside of the womb. The nurse will need to educate parents on lifestyle changes that will promote optimal health in their infant. The nurse will determine education based on the parents’ lifestyles and habits such as cessation of smoking and drinking of alcoholic beverages. This paper will aim to further educate individuals in regards to what fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is, how to prevent fetal alcohol syndrome, the side effects of fetal alcohol syndrome during infancy, and the long term effects of fetal alcohol syndrome on the child emotionally, physically, and mentally.