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05 Apr 2004
If a woman drinks alcohol during
her pregnancy, her baby can be born with FAS, a lifelong,
physically and mentally disabling
condition.
FAS is characterized by:
(1) abnormal facial features,
(2) growth deficiencies, and
(3) central nervous system (CNS)
problems.
People with FAS may have problems with learning,
memory, 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.
However, FAS is 100% preventable—if a woman does not drink
alcohol while she is pregnant. Many terms have been used to
describe children who have some, but
not all, of the clinical signs of FAS. Three terms are fetal
alcohol
effects (FAE),
alcohol-related neurodevelopmental 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. In 1996, the
Institute of Medicine (IOM) replaced FAE with the terms ARND and ARBD. Those
with ARND may have functional or mental problems linked to prenatal alcohol exposure.
These include behavioral and/or cognitive abnormalities.
Examples are learning
difficulties, poor school performance, and poor impulse control. They may have
difficulties with mathematical skills, memory, attention, and/or judgment. Those
with ARBD may have problems with the heart, kidneys, bones, and/or hearing.
How
common is FAS?
The reported rates of FAS vary widely. These different rates depend
on the population studied and the surveillance methods used. CDC studies show
FAS rates ranging from 0.2 to 1.5 per 1,000 live births in different areas of
the United States. Other prenatal alcohol-related conditions, such as alcohol-related
neurodevelopmental disorder (ARND) and alcohol-related birth defects (ARBD) are
believed to occur approximately three times as often as FAS.
What are the characteristics
of children with FAS?
FAS is the severe end of a spectrum of effects that can
occur when a woman drinks during pregnancy. Fetal death is the most extreme outcome.
FAS is a disorder characterized by abnormal facial features, and growth and central
nervous system (CNS) problems.
If a pregnant woman drinks alcohol but her child
does not have all of the symptoms of FAS, it is possible that her child has an
alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder (ARND). Children with ARND do not
have full FAS, but may demonstrate learning and behavioral problems caused by
prenatal exposure to alcohol. If you think a child may have FAS or other alcohol-related
effects, contact a doctor.
Children with FAS or ARND may have the following characteristics
or exhibit the following behaviors: small for gestational age or small in stature
in relation to peers; facial abnormalities such as
-
small eye openings;
-
poor coordination;
-
hyperactive behavior;
-
learning disabilities;
-
developmental disabilities (e.g.,
speech and language delays);
-
mental retardation or low IQ;
-
problems with daily
living;
-
poor reasoning and judgment skills;
-
sleep and sucking disturbances in
infancy.
Children with FAS are at risk for psychiatric problems, criminal behavior,
unemployment, and incomplete education. These secondary conditions are problems
that an individual is not born with, but might acquire as a result of FAS.
These
conditions can be very serious, yet there are protective factors that have been
found to help individuals with these problems. 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
FAS who receive special education are more likely to achieve their developmental
and educational potential. In addition, children with FAS need a loving, nurturing,
and stable home life in order to avoid disruptions, transient lifestyles, or
harmful relationships.
Children with FAS who live in abusive or unstable households
or become involved in youth violence are much more likely to develop secondary
conditions than children with FAS who have not had such negative experiences.
CDC is working to identify ways to help individuals with FAS and their families
lessen or prevent secondary conditions. CDC is currently sponsoring (1) a five-site
collaborative effort investigating effective strategies for intervening with
children with FAS and/or alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder (ARND) and
their families and (2) the development of educational curricula about FAS and
ARND targeting parents, school staff, health and social service providers, law
enforcement officials and medical and allied health students and professionals.
How can we prevent FAS?
FAS and other prenatal alcohol-related conditions are
completely preventable if a woman does not drink alcohol while she is pregnant
or could become pregnant. If a woman is drinking during pregnancy, it is never
too late for her to stop.
The sooner a woman stops drinking, the better it will
be for both her baby and herself. If a woman is not able to stop drinking, she
should contact her physician, local Alcoholics Anonymous or local alcohol treatment
center, if needed. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
(SAMHSA) has a Substance Abuse Treatment Facility locator.
This locator helps
people find drug and alcohol treatment programs in their area. If a woman is
sexually active and not using an effective form of birth control, she should
not drink alcohol. She could be pregnant and not know it for several weeks or
more.
Mothers are not the only ones who can prevent FAS. The father’s role is also
important in helping the woman abstain from drinking alcohol during pregnancy.
He can encourage her abstinence from alcohol by avoiding social situations that
involve drinking and by abstaining from alcohol himself. Significant others,
family members, schools, health and social service organizations, and communities
alike can help prevent FAS through education and intervention.
To reduce prenatal
alcohol exposure, prevention efforts should target not only pregnant women who
are currently drinking, but also women who could become pregnant, are drinking
at high-risk levels, and are engaging in unprotected sex.
Source: http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/fas/fasask.htm#how
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