Fetal alcohol syndrome: preventable causes and lifelong effects

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Facts About Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Everyone Should Know

Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) affects newborns causing a lifelong battle and physical defects. FAS is entirely preventable as it is caused by alcohol consumption during pregnancy. FAS is a result of lifestyle choices by the mother. FAS is something of which every expectant mother should be aware. Drinking during pregnancy seems harmless to many, particularly if it is just one drink every so often. However, what seems harmless can have devastating effects on the baby that will last the rest of their life.

Reasons not to drink During Pregnancy

Research has found that the range of abnormalities differs depending on the timing of the alcohol consumption. For instance, a certain number of facial features are specifically associated with drinking on the 20th day of pregnancy and only on the 20th day (Clarren, 2002). Drinking during anytime of your pregnancy is like gambling as to which abnormality your child will have.

Lifelong mental and physical damage to your child is not enough, the costs of raising a child with FAS is another risk that many women don't think about as they order a glass of wine with their dinner or have "just one" at a party. The costs of raising a normal child are astronomical to begin with and rising. The cost of raising a child with severe mental and physical disabilities is staggering. The costs of a bottle of wine maybe $15.00, but the consequences of consuming it can range in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, particularly if insurance does not pay for all of it.

The severity of the deformities and disability increases with the amount of alcohol consumed. (Clarren, 2002). Continued alcohol consumption throughout pregnancy results in more severe damage, but there is no evidence to suggest that there is a safe amount of alcohol that can be is consumed "safely" by a pregnant woman. The developing fetus is very small compared to the mother. A small amount of alcohol in the mother's system, translates into what would be very high alcohol levels in the developing fetus. In addition, the fetus's kidneys, liver, and other systems have not developed yet it all, or are not fully developed and functional. Therefore, the fetus does not have the ability to process the alcohol that the mother does.

A statistically high number of mothers who bear children with FAS never raise their children. They often give them up and someone else who raises them (Clarren, 2002). FAS is not the road to a happy and healthy family. Statistics of shown that it is the road to a broken family and a lifetime of problems for the child (Clarren, 2002).

FAS does not discriminate and women from all races, ethnic backgrounds, and financial status are likely to have a baby with FAS if they continue to drink throughout their pregnancy. Surprisingly, many women who have children with FAS are educated (Clarren, 2002). The only common factor that links mothers with FAS babies together is that they drank during their pregnancy and that their children and the rest of society must bear the burden for their actions. Nine months seems like a long time, especially as things get more uncomfortable in the last months of pregnancy. However, nine months is a very short time compared to the rest of your life and the lifetime of your child.

If you think about taking a drink and you know you're pregnant or even might be pregnant, think about the hard facts first. The responsibility of being a mother begins before the child is born. After the baby is born most mothers would do anything to protect their children. Skipping the drink is the first act of motherhood, so make the right choice and do it for your child. It's a decision you will never regret, but if you drink you could regret it for the rest of your life and your child's life.