length: 627 words 1.8 double spaced pages rating: red free fetal alcohol syndrome what is fetal alcohol syndrome? exposure to alcohol before birth can cause a variety of different problems. One of the most severe effects of drinking during pregnancy is fetal alcohol syndrome fas. Fas is known as one of the leading preventable causes of mental retardation and birth defects.

If a woman drinks alcohol during her pregnancy the baby can be born with fas, which is a lifelong, physically and mentally disabling condition. Fas is characterized by distinctly abnormal facial features, a growth problem, and central nervous system problems brain problems. People who suffer from fas may either have problems with learning, memory, attention span, communication with others, vision, and/or hearing. These problems often lead to trouble in school or social problems and getting along with others. It affects every aspect of an individual’s life and the lives of the people around them.

However fas is one hundred percent preventable if a woman does not drink alcohol while she is pregnant. Studies show that fas rates range from 0.2 1.5 per 1,0 births in different areas of the united states. I think that the odds of a child suffering from fas is low because most mothers that have children are smart about their choices, if you know you’re having a child then you must give up the alcohol. Fetal alcohol syndrome is only based on the mothers care of herself and if she chooses to endanger the life and well being of her children. There are many signs of which may be able to tell you if you or your child suffer from fetal alcohol syndrome.

They may have the following characteristics or exhibit the following behaviors small in height or weight in comparison to others of the same age, abnormal facial features such as small eye openings, poor coordination, hyperactive behavior, learning disabilities, developmental disabilities i.e. Speech and language problems , mental retardation or low iq, problems with daily living, poor reasoning and judgment skills, and sleep and sucking disturbances in infancy. Children with who suffer from fas are also said to be at risk for psychiatric problems, criminal behavior, unemployment, and incomplete education. These are known as secondary conditions which are problems that children are not born with and may acquire throughout life but do not necessarily have to. For example, a child who is diagnosed with fas early in life can be placed in classes that help the child learn and behave better. In addition children with fas need a loving, nurturing, and stable home in order to avoid any disruptions in their life or that may cause harmful relationships. Children with fas who grow up around violence and hostility are much more likely to develop the secondary conditions as mentioned before which are a huge risk to the outcome of the child’s behavior as he/she grows up and enters the world outside the home.

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As stated before mothers have a huge role in whether or not their child will suffer from fas but they are not the only ones who can prevent it. The fathers’ role can also be very important in helping the woman abstain from drinking alcohol during pregnancy. He can encourage non alcoholic behavior by avoiding situations with alcohol present and abstaining himself.

To reduce the problem or fetal alcohol syndrome, women who are already pregnant and are drinking should not be the only ones targeting for prevention, but also women who could become pregnant and are drinking. 21 feb 2016 fetal alcohol syndrome is a series of birth defects such as physical, mental, behavioral and learning problems caused by the mother drinking alcohol during pregnancy. Kenneth jones and david smith at the university of washington in seattle officially identified fetal alcohol syndrome in 1973 golden 1. The exact reasons certain fetuses are affected and others are not, is not fully understood. Cdc reports state that 0.2 to 1.5 per 10 babies are born each year in the united states with alcohol related birth defects cdc 1. Disclaimer: free essays on alcohol posted on this site were donated by anonymous users and are provided for informational use only. The free alcohol research paper fetal alcohol syndrome 2 essay presented on this page should not be viewed as a sample of our on line writing service.

If you need fresh and competent research / writing on alcohol, use the professional writing service offered by our company. Fetal alcohol syndrome a pregnant woman's lifestyle ultimately affects the development of her baby. Excessive exposure to alcohol during pregnancy can inflict serious, permanent physical and mental damage on her child. 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. The national organization on fetal alcohol syndrome states fetal alcohol syndrome is the name given to a group of physical and mental birth defects that are the direct result of a woman's drinking during pregnancy nofas 1. Fetal alcohol syndrome is the only disease that is one hundred percent preventable if the mother refrains from drinking while pregnant. There is no way of measuring how much alcohol one can consume before defects occur, and no proof that small amounts of liquor are safe.

As little as one drink a day can cause a baby some degree of harm and interfere with their normal development. The syndrome occurs in anywhere from point five to three live births per thousand in western countries it is estimated that between thirty and forty percent of all woman who drink heavily during pregnancy will have a child afflicted with fetal alcohol syndrome fetal alcohol syndrome outranks down's syndrome in prevalence and is the leading case of mental retardation britanica 1. Babies who are born with fetal alcohol syndrome suffer symptoms that are permanent.

Without a doubt the easiest way to prevent these defects is to not drink alcohol at all during pregnancy. The more people know about the effects of maternal drinking, the less likely they will drink while pregnant. The risks of drinking as little as one or two drinks a day may not seem like much yet they can cause a lifetime of birth defects. Symptoms of fetal alcohol syndrome are present not only at birth, but also during gestation. A small head, small eye openings, droopy eye lids, a short upturned nose, thin upper lip, and small jaw are just some of the many physical abnormalities that can occur with chronic drinking. The physical birth defects are devastating yet just as much damage is unseen by the naked eye. Central nervous system defects such as mental retardation and behavior disorders can be seen.