Any alcohol consumption in the first trimester can increase the risk of spontaneous abortion (1). Preterm labor and decreased milk production are also results of alcohol use in pregnant women (1). Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders reflect around the way in which alcohol affects the central nervous system development (2). Many deformities and abnormalities consist of the facial features such as a flat nasal bridge, smooth or indistinct philtrum, thinned upper-lip, and flattened cheeks (2). Other criteria include low-set or mildly malformed ears, and small eye openings (5).…
Define “Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is a medical condition found in newborns that are exposed to alcohol during the pregnancy of their mothers. The disorder happens as a result of the mother’s heavy alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Effects cause children to suffer from severe brain damage and growth problems.…
The purpose of this lab was to observe how exposure to ethanol impacts early chick development. We also aimed to determine whether a dose dependence exists between exposure and manifestation of FAS. Chick eggs were injected with ethanol at different concentrations: 0%, 5%, 10% and 15% and development was terminated after 14 days. We found ethanol concentration had a significant effect on chick head diameter (tab.1), and the linear relationship can be seen in figure 2; as ethanol concentration increased head diameter decreased.…
Alcohol closes many pathways which makes it slower to process information from one side of the brain to the other. This is why a person with FAS most of the time does something without thinking and causes them to face the consequences. Fetal alcohol syndrome also affects growth, ethanol is able to affect the proper development of the placenta. Ethanol causes abnormalities in the placenta that prevent exchange of nutrients between the mother and the fetus. This means that less dietary iron is available for the fetus to consume.…
Drinking alcohol is known to cause a group of conditions called fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs). Effects can include physical problems and behavioral problems such as difficulties with learning and remembering, understanding and following directions, controlling emotions and experiencing meltdowns, communicating and socializing and activities of daily living such as feeding, bathing, and taking care of personal hygiene. Fetal alcohol syndrome is the most serious type of FASD. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is a general term used to define both physical and mental defects that a child can have if alcohol is consumed during pregnancy. Prenatal alcohol exposure leads to neurobehavioral disorders which includes deficits in general intellectual functioning, visual-spatial processing, attention, and academic achievement.…
The most common debilitating effect of alcohol on a fetus is mental retardation.3 Some studies have shown that children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder have an IQ within the “normal” range, however. Even though intellectual disability isn’t needed to diagnose fetal alcohol syndrome, most babies effected by it do exhibit these impairments, along with facial abnormalities. These can include a smooth philtrum, thin upper lip, depressed nasal bridge, short nose, flat midface, and short palpebral fissures.2(p133), 3 Fetal alcohol syndrome can also cause problems with cognitive processes located in the frontal lobes.3 The frontal lobe is responsible for decision-making, especially when pertaining to goals, and also helps define an individual’s personality.8 This can lead to a vast array of problems, especially later on in life.…
Most of you will not feed your child alcohol, so why feed it to your child when your child is in your womb eating and drinking everything you eat and drink? When a woman drinks alcohol during pregnancy, her child may end up having mental and physical deficiencies. Many pregnant women who do drink alcohol. Its estimated that each year in U.S., 1 in every 750 infants is born with physical, developmental, and functional problems, while 40,000 are born with fetal alcohol effects.…
Alcoholism not only impacts adults but also children in the form of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) and Fetal Alcohol Effect (FAE). A piece of the puzzle against fighting and defeating alcohol is doctoring the people who are suffering from, affected by, and at a high risk of the disease of…
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is the leading known preventable cause of developmental and physical birth defects. If a mother drinks alcohol during her pregnancy her fetus is at risk of mental and physical deformations (WebMD, 2000). As previously stated, each year it is estimated…
Women who consume alcohol while pregnant are subjecting their unborn babies to be at risk for fetal alcohol syndrome causing disabilities and abnormal conditions Shantelle Rodrigues Bridgewater State University Heal 199 Professor Marrella April 15, 2015 Currently in the United States, one out of eight young women has exposed their child to fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). It is a congenital syndrome caused by excessive consumption of alcohol by the mother during pregnancy. Alcohol consumption during pregnancy can result in adverse health consequences for the fetus and the developing child. According to Collins (2003) fetal alcohol syndrome occurs in one of every thousand births (pg. 34). Women who consume alcohol while…
Fetal Alcohol research Every year thousands of infants are born exposed to drugs. Some of these babies are born addicted and some premature and some with organ, limb, facial deformities and some with brain damage. Even Small amount of alcohol or drug can put the baby’s health at risk. Drugs can also cause the baby to be born prematurely, have learning and behavior problems, have sleeping and, have speech and language delays. Even over the counter medicine can be dangerous.…
This means the fetus is being exposed to high levels of alcohol where it does not have the ability to filter it out. Also, it has been shown that the amniotic fluid can act like a reservoir for the alcohol, giving the fetus prolonged exposure (Huether, McCance,…
The next part of this article discussed stillbirths, which are defined as the baby dying after 20 weeks of pregnancy. This sections tells us that a study of over 600,000 human births showed that any amount of alcohol consumption increased the stillbirth likelyhood by 40%. Preterm births and sudden infant death syndrome are the last topics discussed and they are defined as delivery of the baby in less than 37 weeks and the sudden unexplained death of a baby less than 1 month old, respectively. The studies listed on these topics have mixed results as some have shown a link to alcohol…
From the moment the baby is conceived, until it is born it is affected by what the mother does. You get high your baby gets high. You drink your baby drinks. Excessive exposure to alcohol during pregnancy can inflict serious, permanent physical and mental damage on your child. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is one of the nations top concerns in unborn infants.…
Extreme alcohol consumption during pregnancy results in a child being born with a condition called Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). The alcohol consumed by the expectant mother is considered a teratogen, which is any substance that can impair cognitive and behavioral outcomes (Santrock, 2013, p. 69). Symptoms of FAS vary but include birth defects, decreased growth, learning, and behavioral issues just to name a few (“Alcohol Effects on a Fetus-Topic Overview,” 2015, para. 3). The impact alcohol has on the fetus in utero lasts a lifetime for a child diagnosed with FAS. Society today places a high value on education and goal achievement, and a child entering first grade has so much to learn.…