Drugs and Prenatal Development

Introduction

The disease of fetal alcohol syndrome or FAS is considered as a disorder that may develop by drinking in pregnancy and adversely affect the embryo. However, the use of alcohol in pregnancy may not always end up developing FAS. As per the existing set of knowledge and recommendations by senior surgeons and the department of Health in USA and UK prohibit utilization of alcohol during pregnancy. Basically the alcohol taken may cross the placental hindrance and has the tendency of blocking progress and development of fetal or may affect its weight adversely, it may also formulate differentiated facial disgraces and has the capability of damaging neurons and its structure and may also result into other additional bodily, cerebral or communicative issue.

As per the survey conducted in USA regarding the utilization of alcohol during pregnancy, it was observed that 10% to 15% of pregnant women usually take alcohol during pregnancy and approximately 30% of pregnant women take alcohol at least once during pregnancy (Jagodzinski, p319). The primary affects of FAS include adverse effects on nervous system specially brain on constant basis. The exposure of alcohol may result in underdevelopment of crucial cells of brain and its structure. In addition to it, it may also result into crucial mental and operative disabilities such as bad memory, attention deficit, reckless behavior, poor at cause and effect process and some of the inferior disabilities like that of mental health issues, addiction to drugs etc. The FAS has also this potential of effecting adversely to brain in form of severe damages developed during pregnancy. FAS is one of the most common cause of mental obstruction in the Western countries. As per estimates, FAS has a n occurrence rate of somewhere between 0.2 to 2.0 cases out of every 1000 fetal newly born, which is higher in comparison of other developing disabilities like that of Down syndrome or spine bifida (Brock, p23).

Discussion and Analysis

One of the most visible and evident symptom of the FAS is poor growth which is referred to as the slower growth of one's height or height of an infant below the average level, or weight below average level. These symptoms can incur at any time in the life of individual exposed by prenatal alcohol. The growth of height and weight can be measured by status of being born as premature baby, nutrition level, etc. As per the guidance of CDC, the Canadians utilize the 10th percentile as a minimum acceptable level to identify the weakness with respect to growth. The effects of FAS on face are visible in form of damages that are developed within a 10 to 20 weeks of gestation. However, these signs are visible but are not diagnostic.

The facial symptoms of FAS are smooth philtrum, which reflects the furrow in between nose and upper lips flattening, thin vermillon, which reflects thinning of upper lips, and small palpebral fissures, which reflect decrease in the width of eyes. These symptoms and signs were diagnosed and identified in ...