Fetal alcohol syndrome: causes, abnormalities, and clinical manifestations

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is the manifestation of specific growth, mental, and physical birth defects associated with the mother's high levels of alcohol use during pregnancy'. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is developed in some unborn babies when the mother drinks too much alcohol during pregnancy. It is a pattern of some specific mental and physical disorder ness, which is evolved due to alcohol. In some of the cases the victim baby is born handicapped, and therefore the baby require special care for lifetime.

In other cases, babies infected by Fetal Alcohol Syndrome experience smaller body size, lower birth weight, and related impairments. These physical indications are sometimes referred to as Fetal Alcohol Effects.

CAUSE

The presence of alcohol in pregnant woman's bloodstream reaches fetus through placenta. The alcohol interferes disturbs the ability of the fetus to accept sufficient oxygen, and is responsible for the malnourishment of normal cell development in the brain and other body organs. The common and frequent use of alcohol by pregnant woman exposes her to the same level of risks that alcohol has in general population. In this particular case of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, the fetus is subjected to extreme and unique risk.

The nature and intensity of the syndrome depends upon the timing and quantity of alcohol consumed during the course of pregnancy. 'Alcohol use during the first trimester is more damaging than during the second trimester, which is, in turn, more damaging than use in the third trimester'. (Streissguth, a., and Kanter, J. (Eds.) the Challenge of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome)

Alcohol ingested by a pregnant woman easily penetrate into the placental barrier to the fetus, therefore, drinking alcohol can badly damage the development of the baby. 'Pregnant woman consuming any amount of alcohol is at risk, because safe and protected level of alcohol ingestion during pregnancy has not been established'. (Stratton, K., Howe, C., and Battaglia, F. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: Diagnosis, Epidemiology, Prevention, and Treatment)

Large and continuous consumption of the alcohol cause increased problems. According to research, multiple birth defects associated with fetal alcohol syndrome are commonly associated with heavy alcohol use or alcoholism.

ABNORMALITIES / SYMPTOMS

The abnormalities of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome are discussed below,

Intrauterine growth retardation, there is a growth deficiency in the fetus and newborn in all parameters including head circumference, weight, and height

There is delayed development with decreased mental functioning from mild to severe nature

Facial abnormalities i.e. The inheritor has small eye openings; skin webbing between eyes and base of nose; drooping eyelids; nearsightedness; failure of eyes to move in same direction; short upturned nose; sunken nasal bridge; flat or absent groove between nose and upper lip; thin upper lip; opening in roof of mouth; small jaw; low-set or poorly formed ears.

Heart defects such as ventricular septal defect (VSD) or arterial septal defect (ASD)

Limb abnormalities of joints, hands, feet, fingers, and toes

Growth deficiencies i.e. The inheritor is subjected to small body size and weight, slower than normal development and fails to catch up.

Skeletal deformities i.e. The inheritor experiences deformed ribs and sternum; curved spine; hip dislocations; bent, fused, webbed, or missing fingers or toes; limited movement of joints; small head.

Organ deformities i.e. The sufferer experiences heart defects; heart murmurs; genital malformations; kidney and urinary defects.

Central Nervous System handicaps i.e. The inheritor has small brain, and faulty arrangement of brain cells and connective tissue; mental retardation i.e. The sufferer is usually mild to moderate but occasionally severe; learning disabilities; short attention span; irritability in infancy; hyperactivity in childhood; poor body, hand, and finger coordination.

RESEARCH

The recently conducted research study by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, on 400,000 American women, all of whom had consumed alcohol during pregnancy, concluded that not a single case of fetal alcohol syndrome occurred and no adverse effects on children were found when consumption was under 8.5 drinks per week. It was found that alcohol syndrome only occurred among alcoholics. Therefore it is now evident that, there is no clear risk to a child when the pregnant woman consumes less than one drink per day. (the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Alcohol and Your Unborn Baby).

An experiment of moderate drinking during pregnancy found no negative effects; therefore it is a safe practice. According to researchers one drink per day provides a significant margin of safety, although it is not recommended to drink during pregnancy.

A study of pregnancies in eight European countries found that consuming no more than one drink per day did not affected fetal growth. A follow-up of children at 18 months of age found that those from women who drank during pregnancy, even two drinks per day, scored higher and severe in several areas of development.

The analysis of seven major medical research studies, which researched and studied on 130,000 pregnancies, suggested that consumption of two to fourteen drinks per week does not increase the risk of giving birth to a child with either malformations or fetal alcohol syndrome. The high level of consumptions per occasion resulted in the higher range of blood alcohol content level which contributed towards negative effects.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists concludes that, 'there is no evidence that an occasional drink is harmful. Women who drink heavily throughout pregnancy may have smaller babies with physical and mental handicaps, but women who drink moderately may have babies with no more problems than those women who drink rarely or not at all'. (Abel, E.L. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome)