Free Essays on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) refers to a group of physical and mental birth defects resulting from a woman’s drinking alcohol during pregnancy. FAS now surpasses Down Syndrome and Spina Bifida as the leading cause of mental retardation in the United States. The average IQ for persons with fetal alcohol syndrome is sixty-seven. This occurs in one out of seven hundred fifty births a year. Many of these children are diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, and Pervasive Developmental Disorder. The cause of fetal alcohol syndrome is chronic alcohol or drug consumption during pregnancy. Every time a pregnant woman drinks, the alcohol passes through the placenta to the unborn child. Alcohol is more harmful to the fetus than the mother because of the unborn baby’s small size and rapid growth rate. Once a fetus has FAS, the physical and mental damage is irreversible. Fetal alcohol syndrome is totally preventable. No alcohol means no FAS. A pregnant woman shouldn’t abuse drugs either. There is evidence that indicates an occasional glass of wine or beer is not dangerous, but no usage is recommended. The ages most affected are newborns. It effects all races and all socio-economic groups. The signs and symptoms of newborns are poor sucking abilities, poor sleeping habits, irritability, and affects of alcohol withdrawal. Some possible physical abnormalities are a small head circumference below five- percent (Microcephaly). Small eye slits (palpebral fissures), vertical folds of skin extending from upper eyelid to the side of the nose (Epicanthic folds), ridge above upper lip (smooth or indistinct philtrum), protruding forehead, cleft palate, flattening of mid-face, low set or mildly malformed ears, small brain, and hip dislocation and other joint deformalities. Symptoms later on are mental and severe growth retardation, poor coordination and learning disabilities, speech and language difficulties, and ... Free Essays on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Free Essays on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol EffectsFetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effects Prenatal alcohol exposure is a preventable cause of birth defects, including mental retardation and neurodevelopmental deficits. Since the initial recognition in 1968 of the multiple effects that alcohol can have on the developing fetus [1] and the subsequent delineation in 1973 of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), [2] it has become clear that prenatal alcohol exposure can be associated with a wide range of abnormalities. [3] More than 80% of children with FAS demonstrate prenatal and postnatal growth deficiency, mild to moderate mental retardation, microcephaly, infantile irritability, and characteristic facial features. Fifty percent of affected individuals also have poor coordination, hypotonia, attention deficit disorders with hyperactivity, decreased adipose tissue, and other identifiable facial features. Additionally, 20% to 50% of affected children demonstrate a variety of other birth defects, including cardiac anomalies, hemangiomas, and eye and ear anomalies. [2,4,15,16] Even in the absence of growth retardation or congenital abnormalities, children born to women who drank alcohol excessively during pregnancy appear to be at increased risk for attention deficit disorders with hyperactivity, fine-motor impairment, and clumsiness as well as more subtle delays in motor performance and speech disorders. [4] These findings have been referred to as fetal alcohol effects (FAE). As recently described, FAS and FAE produce profound cognitive, behavioral, and psychosocial problems that persist to date of follow-up of those affected. In the most comprehensive and far-reaching study to date, Streissguth et al [5] traced the natural history into adulthood and demonstrated the profound, pervasive, and persistent nature of the biopsychosocial manifestations of these disorders. Cognitively those affected... Free Essays on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) refers to a group of physical and mental birth defects resulting from a woman’s drinking alcohol during pregnancy. FAS now surpasses Down Syndrome and Spina Bifida as the leading cause of mental retardation in the United States. The average IQ for persons with fetal alcohol syndrome is sixty-seven. This occurs in one out of seven hundred fifty births a year. Many of these children are diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, and Pervasive Developmental Disorder. The cause of fetal alcohol syndrome is chronic alcohol or drug consumption during pregnancy. Every time a pregnant woman drinks, the alcohol passes through the placenta to the unborn child. Alcohol is more harmful to the fetus than the mother because of the unborn baby’s small size and rapid growth rate. Once a fetus has FAS, the physical and mental damage is irreversible. Fetal alcohol syndrome is totally preventable. No alcohol means no FAS. A pregnant woman shouldn’t abuse drugs either. There is evidence that indicates an occasional glass of wine or beer is not dangerous, but no usage is recommended. The ages most affected are newborns. It effects all races and all socio-economic groups. The signs and symptoms of newborns are poor sucking abilities, poor sleeping habits, irritability, and affects of alcohol withdrawal. Some possible physical abnormalities are a small head circumference below five- percent (Microcephaly). Small eye slits (palpebral fissures), vertical folds of skin extending from upper eyelid to the side of the nose (Epicanthic folds), ridge above upper lip (smooth or indistinct philtrum), protruding forehead, cleft palate, flattening of mid-face, low set or mildly malformed ears, small brain, and hip dislocation and other joint deformalities. Symptoms later on are mental and severe growth retardation, poor coordination and learning disabilities, speech and language difficulties, and ... Free Essays on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome The Deletrious Effects Of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome This essay will consider information about fetal alcohol syndrome and it's deleterious effects on the unborn fetus and the repercussions that follow after birth and through life. In my opinion alcohol is responsible for the detrimental effects on the innocent, unwilling participants of alcohol abuse through their mother's inability to cope with life's hardships or the inability of understanding the spectrum of affects alcohol can cause on the unborn baby. This essay will show that mother's who drink alcohol, no matter what the quantity, will have a severe impact on her offspring's mental, physical and psychological capabilities commencing in the womb, to birth and through his or her existence. This essay will examine three main topics of discussion. First it will show what fetal alcohol syndrome is and how it affects the prenatal world. Secondly, it will show how it affects the fetus when exposed to alcohol at all stages of life. Finally, it will show the statistics of fetal alcohol syndrome on youths. "Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), fetal alcohol effects (FAE), alcohol-related neurodevelopment disorder (ARND), alcohol related birth defects (ARBD) and alcohol-exposed static encephalopathy (SE) are all terms for the defect which occurs to a child when his or her mother drinks alcohol during pregnancy (Streissguth, 5)". It causes a birth defect that targets the brain from the pre-embryonic stage, to the fetal stage and has lifelong consequences. Some of the most crippling secondary disabilities that people with FAS/FAE face include mental health problems, disrupted school experience, inappropriate sexual behavior, trouble with the law, alcohol and drug problems, difficulty caring for their children, and homelessness. "It is estimated that one in every ten children born have some form of thi... Free Essays on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Objective†¦ After the reading and discussion of my very informative paper, the Student will be able to understand the causes of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, signs & symptoms, and how as future nurses, we can prevent further complications. What is Fetal Alcohol Syndrome? ¿? Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is a set of physical and mental birth defects that can result when a woman drinks alcohol during pregnancy. When a pregnant woman drinks any type of alcohol, such as beer, wine, or mixed drinks, so does her baby. Alcohol passes through the placenta right into the developing fetus and as a result, the child may suffer lifelong damage. FAS is characterized by three major characteristics: (1) abnormal facial features, (2) growth deficiencies, and (3) central nervous system (CNS) problems. People with FAS may have problems with learning, memory, low birth weight, skeletal deformities, little attention span, communication, vision, and/or hearing. These problems often lead to difficulties in school and problems getting along with others. FAS is a permanent condition. It affects every aspect of an individual’s life and the lives of his or her family. 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. The term FASD is not intended for use as a clinical diagnosis. Many terms have been used to describe children who have some, but not all, of the clinical signs of FAS. Three terms you may commonly hear are Fetal Alcohol Effects (FAE), Alcohol-Related Neurodevelopment Disorder (ARND), and Alcohol-Related Birth Defects (ARBD). FAE has been used to describe children who have all of the diagnostic features of FAS, but at mild or less severe levels. These include behavioral and/or cog...