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Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal
Alcohol Spectrum Disorders
Prenatal exposure to
alcohol can cause a range of disorders known as fetal alcohol spectrum
disorders (FASDs). One of the most severe effects of drinking during
pregnancy is fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), a lifelong condition that
causes physical and mental disabilities. FAS is one of the leading known
preventable causes of mental retardation and birth defects. FAS is
characterized by abnormal facial features, growth deficiencies, and
central nervous system problems. People with FAS might have problems
with learning, memory, attention span, communication, vision, hearing,
or a combination of these. 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.
FASDs is an umbrella term describing the range of effects that can occur
in an individual whose mother drank alcohol during pregnancy. These
effects include physical, mental, behavioral, and/or learning
disabilities with possible lifelong implications.
Children with FASDs are at risk for
psychiatric problems, criminal behavior, unemployment, and incomplete
education. These are secondary conditions that an
individual is not born with but might acquire as a result of FAS or a
related disorder. These conditions can be very serious, but there
are protective factors that
have been found to help individuals with FASDs. For example, a child who
is diagnosed early in life can be placed in appropriate educational
classes and given access to social services that can help the child and
his or her family. Children with FASDs who receive special education are
more likely to achieve their developmental and educational potential. In
addition, children with FASDs need a loving, nurturing, and stable home
life to avoid disruptions, transient lifestyles, or harmful
relationships. Children with FASDs who live in abusive or unstable homes
or who become involved in youth violence are much more likely than those
who do not have such negative experiences to develop secondary
conditions.
From the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/fas/fasask.htm
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