...Birth Defects Synthesis Essay As excitement and joy flow through expecting parents, troubling thoughts will occur when preparing for an unborn child. With numerous thoughts arising for the family one specific thought, will this child be healthy, will present itself throughout the pregnancy and at birth. Birth defects change the lives of families and unborn children every day. On the website, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in the United States alone one out of thirty-three children display having a birth defect before and at delivery (“Facts about Birth Defects” par. 1). By knowing the impact birth defects have on society cause a worry for mothers-to-be and families wanting a child of their own. Some families will search for ways...
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...English 1A February 4, 2013 Fetal Alcohol Syndrome The lifestyle pregnant women live at time affect the life of unborn infant. Most women think that pregnancy is all about bringing life into the world. They forget that it take a lot to keep the unborn child safe by taking precaution in the dietary habits to prevent the destruction or inhibition of life. Some pregnant women continue on their drinking and drug abuse binge right throughout their pregnancy. They do not think ahead to the inexplicable damage that it could do to their fetus. What they do not know is that when women drinks, while pregnant it could cause damage, and pose problems not only to herself, but also to the fetus that she is carrying. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome has been the leading cause of birth defects and developmental disabilities in the United States today. In knowing how Fetal Alcohol Syndrome can be prevented, what the symptoms are, and who and what make up the risk factors fetal alcohol syndrome can be better understood. Dr. Osaseri (Family doctor), (Gardena Medical Center) stated that “Fetal alcohol syndrome is refers to a newborn who manifests signs, either physically or behaviorally, that are indicative of significant exposure to alcohol during the course of the pregnancy”. A birth defect occurs as a result abuse of alcohol. Some mother don’t consider the health of their unborn child when consumption alcohol during pregnancy; they forget that whatsoever they eat that the unborn child eats the same...
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...Women who drink alcohol during pregnancy can cause harm to their unborn child. Many unfavorable outcomes can result from this including fetal alcohol syndrome, which is a condition in a child that results from alcohol exposure during the mother’s pregnancy. The effects of fetal alcohol syndrome can be detrimental to the infants health during pregnancy and after birth including, miscarriage, low birth weight, and physical defects. A mother that drinks alcohol during pregnancy is putting her child at an unnecessary risk for complications, not only during pregnancy, but after the child is born. The pregnancy could result in a miscarriage, because alcohol passes through the placenta. The infant cannot process the alcohol the same way adults do,...
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...Birth defects, also known as congenital disorders, are conditions that exist before or at birth. 20% of these defects originate from heredity, but most of these disorders are caused by the poor life choices expecting mothers make. There are things moms may not consider that could put an infant in danger of congenital disorders. Some everyday activities contain underlying risks that can be detrimental over time. With that being said, most birth defects happen because of the carelessness of pregnant mothers by means of smoking, drinking, not eating correctly, and not taking care of themselves in various ways. Cigarettes There are many commercials on TV showing the negative effects cigarettes have on unborn babies. All cigarettes contain toxins,...
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...Abstract Substance abuse during pregnancy can cause many medical problems for the baby after birth. Tobacco, alcohol, and many other forms of illegal substances can cause medical concerns both during pregnancy and after birth to a baby exposed during pregnancy. Low birth weight, heart defects and premature birth are some of the common effects of substance abuse during pregnancy. The Effects of Substance Abuse on Unborn Babies In today's society, people are talking about babies being born addicted to drugs, and how a mother could harm her unborn child. Substance abuse during pregnancy can have devastating and lasting effects on unborn babies. Drug addiction is a very serious condition that requires more research. We are still learning the effects of substance abuse. Doctors and nurses should not judge these women, but should instead give them the best prenatal care that can be provided. We need to see what harm and side effects substance abuse has on the mother and baby so that we can be able to better understand how to treat the both of them during pregnancy and after birth. Tobacco is sometimes called the lessor of all evils, but “there are over four thousand chemicals” (Johnson, 2012), including nicotine and carbon monoxide. These are the two most dangerous chemicals. Smoking during pregnancy affects the mother and baby’s health before, during, and after the baby is born. The nicotine (the addictive substance in tobacco), carbon monoxide, and numerous other poisons...
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...2.1.1. Introduction to Birth Defect Birth defect is one of the significant indicators of health status of every individual. The incidence of birth defects remains an important public health concern. Inadequate knowledge about the defects among prospective mothers (or the family) could result in delayed medical managements. It is also under-recognized cause of infant’s and children’s death and disability. The World Health Organization (WHO) defined birth defect as structural or functional abnormalities that are usually seen at birth. It is reported that children who survive and live with birth defect are faced with the increased risk of developing life-long physical, cognitive and social challenges on which medical intervention and other supportive...
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...fetal alcohol syndrome ( FAS) , alcohol-related birth defects ( ARBD) , and alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorders (ARND) . The three main types of research methods used in these studies are passive surveillance, clinic-based studies, and active case ascertainment. This article describes each of these methods, including their strengths and weaknesses, and summarizes the estimated prevalence of FAS produced by each of these approaches. The maternal risk factors associated with FAS and other alcohol-related anomalies include advanced maternal age, low socioeconomic status, frequent binge drinking, family and friends with drinking problems, and poor social and psychological indicators. Overall, the available literature points to a prevalence rate of FAS of 0.5 to 2 cases per 1,000 births in the United States during the 1980s and 1990s. KEY WORDS: fetal alcohol syndrome; prevalence; epidemiological indicators; alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder; birth defects; statistical estimation; data collection; clinical aspects; population dynamics; risk factors; research in practice; research quality Establishing the prevalence 1 (1 See the sidebar on page 160 for the definition of prevalence as it is used in this article.) and other epidemiological characteristics of fetal alcohol syndrome ( FAS) , alcohol-related birth defects ( ARBD) , and alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder ( ARND) 2 (2 FAS is a set of birth defects caused by maternal consumption of alcohol during...
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...The Effects of Alcohol Consumption during Pregnancy The Effects of Alcohol Consumption during Pregnancy When a pregnant mother consumes alcohol; so does her unborn developing child. “Government Warning: According to the Surgeon General, women should not drink alcoholic beverages during pregnancy because of the risk of birth defects” (Balatbat, 2005, p.110). When a mother drinks during pregnancy the alcohol is in the blood. The alcohol travels through the placenta to the fetus through the umbilical cord, thus causing damaging complications such as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). According to "National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome" (2001-2004), “Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (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” (Facts About FAS/FASD). Drinking alcohol during pregnancy is harmful to the developing fetus because it can cause mental retardation, physical deformity, and central nervous system damage. First, mental retardation is one of the most common characteristics of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). Drinking during pregnancy has a damaging effect on unborn children, which can cause major social and emotional effects to the child’s life; this cannot be out grown or treated. Women who consume alcohol during pregnancy sometimes...
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...drank alcohol while pregnant. Of those, 66% reported drinking in the first trimester and 54% reported drinking in the third trimester. 1 in every 750 infants is born with symptoms of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, while another 40,000 are born with Fetal Alcohol Effects also known as FAE. The research regarding FAS dates back to 1973. From 1973-1978, 245 cases of FAS were reported. The average cost to take care of a child with FAS is around 800,000. (Armstrong, Elizabeth M. Conceiving Risk, Bearing Responsibility: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and the Diagnosis of Moral Disorder: Baltimore, MD: John Hopkins University, 2003.) Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is a mental and physical defect that a fetus can suffer in association with high levels of alcohol consumption during pregnancy. FAS was named in the United States in 1973 by two dysmorpholosgists, Dr. Kenneth Lyons Jones and Dr. David Weyhe Smith of the University of Washington Medical School in Seattle. The article identifying FAS was first published in 1973, in the British Medical Journal, The Lancet. The two doctors helped to define the morphological defects and developmental delays that can affect children born to alcoholic mothers. These observations include prenatal and postnatal deficiencies, facial abnormalities, and damage to the brain that can cause learning, behavior, and cognitive abnormalities. FAS occurs when a pregnant mother consumes alcohol. The alcohol enters the blood stream and crosses the placenta. The alcohol could...
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...WHAT IS FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME? Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is a birth defect caused by heavy alcohol consumption (usually in a binge pattern) during pregnancy. It is characterised by growth retardation, facial and neural abnormalities as well as malformations of other organ systems. Maternal risk for giving birth to a child with FAS is known to vary substantially by population and that the risk also varies between individuals. Alcohol and its primary metabolite, acetaldehyde, are known tissue toxins which may interfere directly with cellular growth and metabolism. When a pregnant woman consumes alcohol, it is carried to all her organs and tissues including the placenta. The placenta functions to protect the fetus and provides nourishment from the mother to the fetus. Alcohol is able to cross the placental membrane and is then transported directly to all developing tissues of the fetus. These adverse effects of alcohol on the developing fetus are characterised by an array of disorders, termed Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). They include structural anomalies as well as behavioural and neuro-cognitive disabilities. Children at the severe end of the spectrum are defined as having the fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). HOW MANY CHILDREN ARE AFFECTED BY FAS? FAS is the most common preventable cause of mental retardation worldwide, even more so than Down’s syndrome. In South Africa, FAS related research has been limited to a few at-risk...
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...Alcohol and Drugs While Pregnant!! · Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can cause a wide range of physical and mental birth defects. The term “fetal alcohol spectrum disorders” (FASDs) is used to describe the many problems associated with exposure to alcohol before birth. Each year in the United States, up to 40,000 babies are born with FASDs · Although many women are aware that heavy drinking during pregnancy can cause birth defects, many do not realize that moderate or even light drinking also may harm the fetus. In fact, no level of alcohol use during pregnancy has been proven safe. · When a pregnant woman drinks, alcohol passes through the placenta to her fetus. In the fetus’s immature body, alcohol is broken down much more slowly than in an adult's body. As a result, the alcohol level of the baby's blood can be higher and remain elevated longer than the level in the mother's blood. This sometimes causes the baby to suffer lifelong damage. · The March of dimes, helps baby that go through FASD’s. They do marches to help make money and also some other what some baby go through, teen pregnancy is the highest when it come is alcohol and drugs while pregnant. The is so many was to stop there the march of dimes is one way. Help baby and stop the drinking and drug use while pregnant. · Teen pregnancy is the highest rate of drinking alcohol and doing drugs use, Teens if you need help go to your doctor and talk to him or her. Or talk to someone in your family.. ...
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...Fetal alcohol syndrome Over the years there have been many myths about fetal alcohol syndrome. A lot of people don’t believe that drinking alcohol will cause any harm to the baby. I think this is wrong. I have seen the effects first hand of what happens when you drink alcohol during pregnancy. My cousin was born with mental retardation due to her mother drinking during pregnancy. Her mom just like many people didn’t think doing this would do any harm, in fact her doctor said that it was okay to do so. Fetal alcohol syndrome is a condition that results from alcohol exposure during pregnancy. There are several problems that are caused by fetal alcohol syndrome; these are physical deformities, mental retardation, learning disorders, vision difficulties and behavioral problems. These problems vary from child to child, but defects caused by fetal alcohol syndrome are irreversible. No amount of alcohol is safe to consume during pregnancy, if you chose to drink you put your baby at risk. Fetal alcohol syndrome is not a single birth defect; it’s a cluster of related problems. Fetal alcohol syndrome is a common yet preventable cause of mental retardation. The severity of this varies with each child. There are several signs of Fetal alcohol syndrome that include: • Distinctive facial features, including small eyes, an exceptionally thin upper lip, a short, upturned nose, and a smooth skin surface between the nose and upper lip. • Deformities of the joints, limbs and fingers...
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...amniocentesis for Eleanor? Why or why not? 3. (a)Describe the ultrasound procedure as performed by Dr. Cohen. (b)What is the position of the baby? 4. Describe two structural abnormalities and/or markers of chromosomal abnormalities discussed by Dr. Cohen as he performs the ultrasound. 5. (a)What risks are associated with various prenatal assessment measures? (b)What are some ethical considerations in the use of prenatal monitoring procedures? 6. How prevalent are birth defects resulting from genetic factors? 7. What are some other, non-genetic factors (not due to hereditary) that can affect prenatal development? 8. Eleanor began taking prenatal vitamins three months prior to conception, and she stopped consuming alcohol in the month prior to conception. What problems will her careful, planned approach likely rule out with (a)use of prenatal vitamins and (b)non-alcohol consumption 1(a) Down syndrome (b) Down syndrome have varying degrees of intellectual disability characteristic facial features and, often heart defects and other problems. (c) Down syndromes varies positively with the age of the parents: older parents are more likely to bear children with the syndrome. 2.Yes. To look at the baby chromosomes. 3. (a) He perform a detailed ultrasound(b) The baby is in a Breech position. 4.Down syndrome and Spina bifida 5. Risk of a woman having a baby with down syndrome. Risk of a woman having a baby...
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...Alcohol is the leading known preventable cause of mental and physical birth defects in the United States (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Revisited). When a woman drinks alcohol during her pregnancy she risks giving birth to a child who will have mental and physical deficiencies for their entire life. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome was first described and published in medical literature in 1968. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is a physical abnormality most recognized in the facial features and reduced size of newborns it can also lead to behavior problems and cognition. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is caused by mothers drinking heavy during pregnancy. The current recommendation of the US Surgeon General is not to drink alcohol at all during pregnancy (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome). According to the book Fetal Alcohol Syndrome one in every 750 infants are born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome each year in the United States. An additional 40,000 babies are born with Fetal Alcohol Effects. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome occurs when alcohol crosses the placental barrier and it stunts fetal growth or weight, creates distinctive facial stigmata, damage neurons and brain structures, and causes other physical, mental, or behavioral problems. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is caused by prenatal exposure to high level of alcohol. Many people think of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome as a drunken baby or a baby addicted to alcohol but Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is not either. According to the book Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome or FAS...
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...Birth defects About one in every 33 babies (about 3%) is born with a birth defect. Birth defects are structural or functional abnormalities present at birth that cause physical or mental disability. There are two types of birth defects structure and functional. Structural birth defects are related to a problem with body parts. Some physical problems include cleft lip or cleft palate, heart defects, such as missing or misshaped valves, and abnormal limbs, such as a club foot. Functional birth defects are related to a problem with how a body part or body system works. No one is immune to birth defects, yet not everyone is equally susceptible. Birth defects are not merely a medical problem. They have profound effects on the social and psychological well being of their family and friends. In the normal course of fetal development, a cell migrates to their appropriate destination so that organs and limbs form where they should. Usually, the genes perform flawlessly, but mistakes can and do occur. Some of the most common birth defects results from the interaction between one or two abnormal genes out of 100,000 that make up who we are. This is caused by the genes parents pass on or affected by drugs and alcohol upon the fetus of a new born child. Down’s syndrome, the most common genetic disease formerly known as mongolism, "occurs one in every six hundred births throughout the world" ( Storm 102). It is caused by chromosomal error, where there is an extra chromosome 21. Instead of...
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