Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and the Consequences Mother's face in today's society

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and the Consequences Mother 's face in today 's society

2005

Table of contents

Introduction .3

Fetal alcohol syndrome .3

Statistics .3

Characteristics and symptoms .4

ADHD .5

Laws br .5

Conclusion .6

Bibliography .7

Enclosure1 .8

Enclosure 2 .9

Enclosure 3 .10

Context notes list .11

Introduction

Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS ) is a complex of mental and (or physical deficiencies , which become

apparent right after birth or later and remain for the rest of life . The cause of FAS is alcohol consumption during pregnancy . Even small amounts of alcohol can cause FAS . Alcohol is considered as one of teratogens (substances that can cause damage to a fetus . Inasmuch as alcohol causes unalterable changes in fetus 's brain , nervous system and other organs at the time of their formation FAS can not be cured entirely . Patients with fetal alcohol syndrome have special medical , educational and family needs during their lifetime

Statistics

According to information published by National Center for Health Statistics the percentage of alcohol consumption during pregnancy is on the second place after smoking among pregnancy risk factors (you can look through this table in enclosure 1

One in every 750 infants is born with full-blown fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS ) each year in the United States . Another 50 ,000 children are born with fetal alcohol effects (FAE ) each year

FAS Community Resource Centre gives FAS Statistics compared to other birth defects March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation also gives statistics of births with FAS compared with other birth defects . It is one baby with FAS in 1000 births (enclosure 1

Incidence (annual ) of Fetal alcohol syndrome : 0 .9 per 10 ,000 births (Caucasians Asians 0 .3 , Hispanics 0 .8 , African Americans 6 .0 , and Native Americans 29 .9 (NWHIC

Incidence Rate : approx 1 in 11 ,111 or 0 .01 or 24 ,479 people in USA

After familiarising with statistic facts it is evident that fetal alcohol syndrome unfortunately is greatly widespread disease all over the world

Characteristics and symptoms of FAS

Symptoms of FAS vary depending on the period of fetus developing in which alcohol was drunk . You can find a table , which shows these periods and the most receptive systems in enclosure 2

Mostly patients with FAS have law birth weight , slight build and small head . Dysmorphic facial features include : short eye openings a short , upturned nose smooth area between the nose and mouth and a flat midface and thin upper lip . Some of them may have other physical anomalies like 1 ) minor joint and limb abnormalities 2 ) cardiac defects 3 ) dental anomalies and 4 ) vision and hearing problems

Among symptoms there are

Poor coordination /fine motor skills

poor socialization skills , such as difficulty building and maintaining friendships and relating to groups

lack of imagination or curiosity

learning difficulties , including poor memory , inability to understand concepts such as time and money , poor language comprehension , poor problem-solving skills

Behavioral problems , including hyperactivity , inability to concentrate social withdrawal , stubbornness , impulsiveness , and anxiety

The most dangerous in FAS are physical and behavioural problems Surprising was the fact that some patients with FAS have considerable range of intellectual functioning

When these patients have special educational conditions and environment they can successful study in high school

ADHD

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Dis (ADHD ) is a condition that becomes apparent in some children in the preschool and early school years . It is hard for these children to control their behaviour and /or pay attention . It is estimated that between 3 and 5 percent of children have ADHD , or approximately 2 million children in the United States This means that in a classroom of 25 to 30 children , it is likely that at least one will have ADHD ' - says Margaret Strock , staff member in the Office of Communications , National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH . The primary symptoms of this dis are hyperactivity , impulsivity and inattention (very similar to FAS symptoms . Besides that ADHD may cause such disabilities as Tourette Syndrome , Oppositional Defiant Dis , Learning Disabilities , Conduct Dis , Anxiety and Depression or Bipolar Dis . Scientists propose five groups of causes of ADHD : environmental agents , brain injury , food additives and sugar and genetics . As environmental agents they consider use of cigarettes and alcohol during pregnancy

Laws

FAS is completely preventable disease and the only way to avoid it is do not drink at all during pregnancy . In this case everything depends only on future mother , her awareness and her wish to give birth to healthy baby . No low can prohibit or control alcohol consumption during pregnancy . The only legislative way in this direction is some restriction in selling of alcohol drinks , raising the level of awareness about this problem and treatment of addicted pregnant women . The most widespread and the most effective laws concerning this problem are laws turned to rising of awareness about the dangers of alcohol use during pregnancy , which require warnings at the point of sale . For instance 19 States and the District of Columbia have enacted such laws , which you 'll find in enclosure 3

The examples of another group of laws directed to battle with drinking during pregnancy are statutes passed in March 1998 made South Dakota the first state to enact laws specifically designed to force pregnant women with alcohol or drug problems into treatment , according to the National Conference of State Legislatures

The statutes

Allow relatives or friends to commit pregnant women to emergency detox centers for up to two days

Allow judges to confine them to treatment centers for as long as nine months

Makes drinking while pregnant a form of child abuse

Conclusion

Though fetal alcoholic syndrome is entirely preventing it is very prevalent all over the world like epidemic . Mostly it is because absence of awareness of this problem but there are a lot of women who deliberately drink during pregnancy and damage fetus . Others can not refuse from alcohol . But influence of legislative bodies is too weak to prevent FAS . Therefore it is important to raise the awareness and improve methods for treatment for addicted women

Bibliography

Meridith Salisbury , A Sober Choice Prevents Fetal Alcohol Syndrome , 17 Sexetc .org Writer

Carole T . Guinta , Fetal alcohol syndrome , The Journal of Contemporary Social Work , 9 /99 ,University of Vermont , Burlington , VT

Margaret Strock ,Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Dis , National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH ) press , 1996

Canadian Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Diss Internet support (FASlink copyright 2005

Signage and Alcohol Warning Laws , SAMSHA Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Diss , 2005

Enclosure 1

Pregnancy Risk Factors

(All figures are for U .S

Percent of Mothers Who Smoke During Pregnancy : 11 .4 (2002

Percent of Mothers Who Drink During Pregnancy : 0 .8 (2002

Number of Mothers With Anemia : 102 ,788 (2002

Number of Mothers With Diabetes : 131 ,027 (2002

Number of Mothers With Pregnancy-Associated Hypertension : 150 ,854 (2002

Number of Mothers With Uterine Bleeding : 20 ,666 (2002

Number of Mothers With Moderate /Heavy Meconium : 200 ,408 (2002

Number of Mothers With Premature Rupture of Membrane : 92 ,550 (2002

HYPERLINK "http /www .cdc .gov /nchs /data /nvsr /nvsr52 /nvsr52_10 .pdf Source : Births : Final Data for 2002

FAS Statistics compared to other birth defects (March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation

Birth Defects Estimated Incidence

Structural /Metabolic

Heart and circulation 1 in 115 births

Muscles and skeleton 1 in 130 births

Club foot 1 in 735 births

Cleft lip /palate 1 in 930 births

Genital and urinary tract 1 in 135 births

Nervous system and eye 1 in 235 births

Anencephaly 1 in 8 ,000 births

Spina bifida 1 in 2 ,000 births

Chromosomal syndromes 1 in 600 births

Down syndrome (Trisomy 21 ) 1 in 900 births

Respiratory tract 1 in 900 births

Metabolic diss 1 in 3 ,500 births

PKU 1 in 12 ,000 births

Congenital Infections

Congenital syphilis 1 in 2 ,000 births

Congenital HIV infection 1 in 2 ,700 births

Congenital rubella syndrome 1 in 100 ,000 births

Other

Rh disease 1 in 1 ,400 births

Fetal alcohol syndrome 1 in 1 ,000 births Enclosure 2

Effects of Alcohol as a Teratogen on the Baby Enclosure 3

The following States and the District of Columbia have laws requiring warnings to be posted at the point of sale about the dangers of drinking alcohol during pregnancy

Warning of dangers of drinking alcoholic beverages during pregnancy to be posted -- Penalty

Minnesota HYPERLINK "http /www .revisor .leg .state .mn .us /stats /340A /410 .html " \t "_blank 340A .410 . License restrictions general

Missouri HYPERLINK "http /www .moga .state .mo .us /statutes /chapters /chap311 .htm " \t "_blank 311 .299 . Warning sign displayed , liquor licenses -- violations

Nebraska HYPERLINK "http /statutes .unicam .state .ne .us /Corpus /statutes /chap53 /R1 .ht ml " \t "_blank " 53-148 .01 . Retail licensee warning sign commission duties

New Hampshire HYPERLINK "http /gencourt .state .nh .us /rsa /html /XIII /175 /175-4 .htm " \t "_blank 175 :4 . Advertising

New Jersey HYPERLINK "http /lis .njleg .state .nj .us /cgi-bin /om_isapi .dll ?clientID 2356433 dept h 2 expandheadings off headingswithhits on infobase statutes .nfo softpag e TOC_Frame_Pg42 " \t "_blank " TITLE 33 INTOXICATING LIQUORS . 33 :1-12a Posting of notice required

New Mexico HYPERLINK "http /198 .187 .128 .12 /newmexico /lpext .dll ?f templates fn fs-main .htm 2 0 " \t "_blank " 60-6A-30 . Posting of warnings

New York HYPERLINK "http /caselaw .lp .findlaw .com /nycodes /c5 /a9 .html \t "_blank " ABC Article 8 , Sec . 105-b . Posting of certain signs

Oregon HYPERLINK "http /www .leg .state .or .us /ors /471 .html " \t "_blank 471 .551 . Warning signs required contents size display

South Dakota HYPERLINK "http /legis .state .sd .us /statutes /Index .cfm ?FuseAction DisplayStatute F indType Statute txtStatute 35-4-99 " \t "_blank " 35-4-99 . Display of health warning sign -- Violation as petty offense

?60-6-25 . Mandatory signs to be posted warning of the possible dangers of consumption of alcohol during pregnancy Context notes list

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Fetal alcohol syndrome , HYPERLINK "http /kidshealth .org /parent /misc /reviewers .html " Kim Rutherford , MD Nemours Foundations Press , September 2001

Statistics about Fetal alcohol syndrome ,wrongdiagnosis .com , 23 March 2005

The Journal of Contemporary Social Work , 9 /99 . Carole T . Guinta ,University of Vermont , Burlington , VT

Fetal alcohol syndrome , HYPERLINK "http /kidshealth .org /parent /misc /reviewers .html " Kim Rutherford , MD Nemours Foundations Press , September 2001

Margaret Strock ,Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Dis , National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH ) press , 1996

S . Dakota to enforce treatment of pregnant moms who drink May 24 , 1998

Web posted at : 2 :24

.m . EDT (1824 GMT

March of Dimes Perinatal Data Center , 2000 . Unpublished review of the literature and information from various state and regional , birth defects surveillance systems (California , Iowa , Metropolitan Atlanta New York , and Texas

Canadian Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Diss Internet support (FASlink

Signage and Alcohol Warning Laws , SAMSHA Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Diss , 2005 ...