...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...
Words: 716 - Pages: 3
...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...
Words: 1275 - Pages: 6
...Running Head: FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME 1 FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME 2 Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is the most recognizable form of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). FAS is characterized by a pattern of minor facial anomalies, prenatal and postnatal growth retardation, and central nervous system abnormalities. Those born with FAS often have behavioral and learning difficulties. The consequences of the damages caused by the mother's drinking is lifelong (Wattendorf & Muenke, 2005). To date, there has been no extensive population-based studies done (Vaux & Chambers, 2012). However, data in one sample demonstrated that approximately 1 in 100 children have alcohol-related effects. In high-risk pregnancies, predicted incidences of fetal alcohol syndrome are approximate and differ because of varied definitions of heavy drinking and inconsistent methods of diagnosis. For this reason, rates range from 4% to as much as 44%.The estimation of FAS in the United States is 1-2 cases per 1000 live births (Wattendorf & Muenke, 2005) . Fetal alcohol exposure is the leading known cause of mental retardation in the Western world. The term Fetal Alcohol Syndrome was first published in a 1973 article in the British medical journal The...
Words: 2136 - Pages: 9
...have FAS. FAS stands for Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Fetal Alcolhol Syndrome is caused by mothers that consume alcohol during pregnacy. There is no specific amount of alcohol known to be safe during pregnancy so the best possible option is not to drink any alcoholic beverage during pregnancy. Three major factors that you should know and consider when thinking about FAS are who causes these problems, birth defects and how to care for a FAS baby. Many people probley think that young teenage girls are the major groups that have FAS babies but little to their suprise they are wrong. Women who are unmarried, have a college education, and women in households with an income greater than $50,000 a year. "These are results from a very recent survey of over 100,000 women conducted by the Center of Disease Control and Prevention published in the August 1998 issue of the journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology." Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is a major problem in our society and is the leading known cause of mental retardation. But most persons with FAS have an IQ in the normal range. Children with FAS usually have a low birth weight and spend alot of time in the hospital when they are a baby. Symptoms that are easily noticed when looking at a child with FAS are small head and body and unquie facial characteristics. Symptoms that are not visable but are very evidant are behavioral problems, brain damage, attention deficits and obsessive/compulsive disorder. It is Nelms, 2 a proven fact that "Alchohol...
Words: 468 - Pages: 2
...Social Issue: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome p.427 The third most common cause of mental retardation in babies born in most of North America (Canada and the United States) is fetal alcohol syndrome. This illness is a result of alcohol and other harmful substances moving across the placenta. The crossing of the placenta results in the blood of the fetus being polluted by the alcohol. The placenta, unfortunately, is a selective membrane preventing only the mother’s blood from entering the blood of the fetus and not the harmful or potentially dangerous materials. This paper will contemplate whether pregnant women should refrain from consuming alcohol until their pregnancy is over. There are many reasons to support the elimination of alcohol from the diet of a pregnant woman the most dominant being the endangerment of the health of the fetus. Therefore, some believe blood test should be mandatory for all pregnant women to detect the presence of alcohol. In addition, the responsibility of the mother is exceedingly questionable because if she is willing to risk the health of the child prior to birth, if she has the patience and perseverance to care for the child after birth. Danger to the fetus is not the only concern in this position, as studies have shown the increase of the chances of cancer as well as a variety of other issues in almost all parts of the body as well as cardiovascular problems possibly leading to a double death of the mother and child. This double death may also be...
Words: 527 - Pages: 3
...Women who are pregnant or are having sexual intercourse without the proper protection are advised not to drink alcohol. Drinking while pregnant can cause many problems to the fetus, involving the heart, the face, the brain and organs; even worse, drinking while pregnant increases the risks of having a miscarriage or delivering a premature child. While pregnant the fetus is very vulnerable to many toxins, such as alcohol, and drugs, so when the mother drinks alcohol, so does the fetus, since blood carries alcohol in the fetus bloodstream. At five weeks the fetus begins to form the brain, which then starts to grow rapidly, this is a crucial time for mothers to nourish their bodies with many proteins and keep away from dangerous toxins. One of the most probable results of drinking while pregnant is the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). The Fetal Alcohol Syndrome has been linked to low I.Q. in children. Over the years there has been many studies to determine if a child’s I.Q. if affected by Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Jones and Smith first introduced Fetal Alcohol Syndrome in the United States in 1973, Jones and Smith described FAS as a “distinctive set of facial anomalies in children whose mothers drank heavily during pregnancy, accompanied by prenatal and/or postnatal growth retardation and cognitive/behavioral problems” (Burden). Children who suffer from FAS commonly have face abnormalities, which may or may not include: flat mid-face, short nose, low nasal bridge, thin lips, short...
Words: 1628 - Pages: 7
...Prenatal Alcohol Exposure Chapman University EDUU 606 January 6, 2010 Over use of alcohol is a growing social problem in our society. Alcohol has a long history of uses, during the early 1930’s alcohol consumption reached an all time high. In the 1980’s consumption of alcohol by adults leveled off; and in the 1990’s there was a decline in the number of adult’s consuming alcohol. Even though consumption in adults has leveled off and declined, there continues to be a growing concern over women who consume alcohol during pregnancy, its affects on the nervous system, and the unborn fetus. In this research I will provide you with an overview on the history and production of alcohol, the effects on the body and the damages that could occur to unborn fetus, demographics of those affected by alcohol. How the alcohol is transmitted from the mother to the unborn fetus, parts of the brain disrupted in development, and the impact it has on learning, as well as the implications and application to the classroom. It does not appear; that most people have a clear understanding of dangers of alcohol. Ethanol is a very addictive drug, which takes many, lives each year. Alcohol lowers ones ability to think rationally. People who consume alcohol lack good judgment because it often causes them to do things they normally wouldn’t when their sober. Alcohol has a major effect on ones overall...
Words: 2099 - Pages: 9
...Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Allanda Smith COM/156 Neil Conway 7/14/2013 Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is a mental and physical defect that forms in the fetus in association with high levels of alcohol consumption during pregnancy. FAS is caused when a pregnant mother drinks alcohol, and it is passed the unborn child through the placenta. Because baby gets all of its nutrition from mother whatever she intakes goes to the baby. FAS can cause a variety of symptoms, stunting fetal a, growth, stunting weight gain of fetus, distinctive facial stigmata, damage’s brain structure and also affect the fetuses’ central nervous system. FAS is said to have caused most mental retardation cases in the western world. FAS effect’s not only the baby but also the parents and family of the baby. They are left to raise a child with special needs because of the decision to drink while carrying a child. Alcohol has a negative effect on anyone who consumes it but for females to drink during pregnancy. Every year in the United States 1 in every 750 babies are born with a pattern of developmental, physical and functional problems, at the same time the other 40,000 are born with fetal alcohol affects. In the United Sates about 50% of pregnancies were unplanned according to a survey taken in by the Center for Disease Control...
Words: 661 - Pages: 3
...Fetal alcohol syndrome is when a fetus is exposed to alcohol before birth. It can cause a variety of different problems. One of the most severe effects of drinking during pregnancy is fetal alcohol syndrome. FAS is one of the preventable causes of mental retardation and birth defects. If a woman drinks alcohol during her pregnancy the baby can be born with FAS, is a lifelong physically and mentally disability. FAS has distinctly abnormal facial features, a growth problem, and central neurological problems. People who suffer from FAS may either have problems have learning disabilities, memory, attention span, communication with others. These problems often lead to struggles in school or social problems like getting along with others. FAS is a lifelong condition. However...
Words: 549 - Pages: 3
...paper is fetal alcohol syndrome. This topic was chosen because I work closely with parents that expose their children to substance abuse before birth. Alcohol is one of those substances unfortunately that parents are exposing their children too. This is a major phenomenon in today’s society and is a relevant issue for many social workers. As a social worker I can use the science behind fetal alcohol syndrome to educate and inform my clients to make better decisions. This education can allow my client’s to live healthy life styles and became aware of their decisions. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is defined as a medical diagnosis in an infant or child whose prenatal growth is not up to par. The child may be under weight or length in the tenth percentile. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome can be rage on different severity levels and is defined on the amount of alcohol the mother consumes during prenatal care (Froschl,Bruner-Ziegler, Wirl 2013).The central nervous system and neurological system usually experience abnormalities in development. Behavioral dysfunction, intellectual impairment, and facial abnormalities are also signs for Fetal Alcohol syndrome (Pancratz, 1993). Due to the intellectual impairment the average IQ score of some one...
Words: 591 - Pages: 3
...Alcohol is said to affect the function of the placenta (125). Fetal alcohol syndrome is one disorder brought on by prenatal exposure to alcohol (125). Some of the defects that are associated with FAS is indicated by features such as an abnormally small head, along many disfigurements in the heart, face, joint and limbs, also including low birth weights (125). Some neurological damages may cause them to have seizures, be irritable, and hyperactive, and also learning development can be hindered by FAS (125). Harmful effects to a child when exposed to nicotine as a fetus can cause restrictions in growth and can also contribute to the risk of unexpected miscarriages and death. Also by the lack of oxygen going to the baby as the mother smokes, the babies respiratory system would suffer from severe complications. and...
Words: 425 - Pages: 2
...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,...
Words: 285 - Pages: 2
...Final Essay Assignment - Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: Who has the rights? Sheila Bird COR3100 Critical Thinking and Writing (Section 2) John F. Kennedy University Summer 2014 Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: Who Has The Rights? Who has the rights when an unborn child is involved, mother or child? Can an unborn child be protected from his/her mother? Fetal Alcohol Syndrome [FAS] raises these questions that so far, have not been addressed. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is considered to be the most serious consequence of a mother drinking alcohol during pregnancy and is considered the #1 cause of mental retardation in the United States, and it is one that is entirely preventable. FAS was first reported in France in 1968 and noticed/discussed in the United States by Jones and Smith in 1973. Jones and Smith would identify distinctive facial features in children who were exposed to alcohol during pregnancy. Some of these facial features are: short eyelid openings, flat midface, thin upper lip and a flat or smooth grove between nose and upper lip. The children can also show growth retardation and significant cognitive and/or behavioral problems/issues. In the United States, FAS/Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder [FASD] occurs in about 10 per 1,000 live births or 40,000 babies per year. FAS is a lifelong condition that is not curable and has serious lifelong consequences. Unfortunately, there is no known limit on the amount of alcohol a mother can safely consume, that will not cause...
Words: 2101 - Pages: 9
...Exposure to drugs in newborns are about 5%. Those exposed to alcohol are at 15%. These babies almost always end up with mental and physical disabilities and will spend time in the NICU going through withdrawals. The effects of drinking cause fetal alcohol syndrome which can imprint permanent facial deformities and decreased mental capabilities. A mother shows complications due to placenta previa; her physician advises her to stay home, refrain from sexual activity, and to seek immediate care if it happens again. The mother ignored the instructions, and she gave birth to a baby with massive brain damage. The police wanted to charge her with homicide seeing the child died at six weeks. The district attorney and judge dropped the charges...
Words: 372 - Pages: 2
...Genetic and Reproductive Sciences Abstract This paper is based on genetic and reproductive science and their benefits and limitations regarding individuals, families, and society. The paper covers the screening and treatment for diabetes and what methods are used to prevent it development. The paper also contains information regarding In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) and its benefits for individuals and families. The use stems cells and its advantages and disadvantages are also mentioned. Analyze the benefits and limitations of genetic and reproductive sciences for individuals, families, and society. The benefit of genetic science for individuals is that it can determine if the person has a possible genetic disorder and give them a better chance at preventing the disorder from becoming active, monitor the disorder, or treat the disorder. For example, diabetes is a genetic disorder that can be discovered through genetic testing. Lifestyle changes such as exercising and lowering their body mass index (BMI) can prevent someone for developing diabetes, and the testing can monitor diabetes if a person develops it. Diabetes can also be treated by the use of insulin and dieting if monitored correctly. The limitation of genetic science for individuals is the emotional outcome of the test results. Some people may get upset and begin to feel guilty, depressed, or even become anxious once they receive their results (Cho, et al., 2012). The benefits of genetic science...
Words: 1426 - Pages: 6
