FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Introduction

The fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is one of the most serious diseases, induced by alcohol consumption during pregnancy. According to different scholarly studies, the first report related to the harmful effects of alcohol consumption during pregnancy revealed in the late sixties of the last century. For a long time, it was considered that the abnormal development of infants were attributable to poor sperm quality, hereditary or environmental factors. Nevertheless, the recognition of the alterations caused by alcohol on intrauterine development was observed recently. The first clinical description of symptoms, caused due to the pre-and post alcohol damage in France. There are several studies of FAS conducted around the world. The results of these studies enlightened the range of several fetal disorders related to alcohol exposure called “the spectrum of fetal alcohol disorders" (FASD) in different countries.

The purpose of this paper is to enlighten and explore the syndrome known as FAS. This paper explores the causes of the syndrome; in addition, it enlightens different perspective through which the syndrome can be cured through unusual precautions. According to contrastive studies, women's bodies contain less water content than men; hence, after drinking an equal amount of an alcoholic beverage the concentration of alcohol in the blood of women exceeds than that of men. If a pregnant woman consumes alcohol, it jeopardizes not only the life of the mother but causes several abnormalities in child; especially, acetaldehyde (product of alcohol metabolism) leads directly into the bloodstream through the placenta to the unborn child. The child is not able to metabolize alcohol like an adult; hence, it results into harmful effects.

Discussion and Analysis

According to contrastive studies, if the women of childbearing age consume more than 7 drinks per week, it increases the probability of fetal alcohol syndrome in the child. In addition, if there is a lack of effective contraception, the child will more likely suffer from learning, cognitive and psychosocial disabilities. The likelihood of damage to the fetus increases with the consumption of alcohol by the mother (Hannigan, Spear, Spear, Goodlett, 1999). The child whose mother has consumed at least 80 grams of pure alcohol per day will experience harmful effects in the form of specific disorders. Moreover, alcohol is dangerous to the developing fetus; because, the consumption of alcohol can affect the child's development at any time during pregnancy.

The Augmenting Rate of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

According to contrastive studies, various terms have been used to describe the problems of children who suffer from some of the clinical symptoms of FAS. The most commonly observed symptoms are: fetal alcohol effects (FAE), alcohol-related neuro-developmental disorder and alcohol-related birth defects. The fetal alcohol effects may be limited to the cognitive and psychosocial effects to the child; but, these effects do not represent a manifestation during pregnancy (Lecanuet, Fifer, Krasnegor, Smotherman, 1995).

According to WHO, these individuals may experience functional or mental problems caused by the consumption of alcoholic beverages during pregnancy. The children that suffer from ARND can suffer from ...