FAS & FAE

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome & Fetal Alcohol Effects

Jessica Marie

Abstract:

“If a woman drinks wine, beer, or liquor when she is pregnant, her baby could be born with FAS.” Those with FAS can endure “mental retardation, central nervous system dysfunction, a distinctive pattern of facial abnormalities and deformities in major organs” (Mitchell). Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can result in two ways: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome or Fetal Alcohol Effects. “Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is a pattern of birth defects, learning, and behavioral problems affecting individuals whose mothers consumed alcohol during pregnancy” (Doris). A softer diagnosis than Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), the diagnosis of possible “FAE is considered when: (1) the person has some signs of FAS, (2) the person does not meet all of the necessary criteria for FAS, and (3) there is a history of alcohol exposure before birth” (Dorris). This paper will address signs of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effects, results of both, and prevention.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effects

This past year, I started dating Chris. His life-style was a tad strange to me with the friends he kept and the “different” experiences he engaged in that were out of my book-worm existence. Through Chris, I met Nicole. I had heard that Nicole had given a baby up for adoption before she started dating Chris’ best friend Matt. On Matt’s birthday, we went to Nicole and Matt’s apartment where I nosily found pictures of Nicole’s baby that she gave up for adoption. I couldn’t get past how ugly this baby looked. There was something “wrong” with the way he appeared in the pictures, but I couldn’t place what was actually wrong minus maybe some really bad genes. Nicole was far from a knock-out. Later that night, Chris was mentioning how Nicole had a drinking problem. I took another look at the pictures and realized Nicole’s son had Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.

It's anticipated that each year in the United States, 1 in every 750 infants are born with a pattern of physical, developmental, and functional problems known as Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, and another 40,000 are born with Fetal Alcohol Effects. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effects are both caused by a mother’s intake of alcoholic beverages during pregnancy and that alcohol crossing the placental barrier and harming the development of the fetus. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effects are said to be the most preventative disorders which is distressing because the mother is inflicting a life-long sentence of irreversible defects by choosing to drink while pregnant (KidsHealth).

What causes FAS and FAE Effects?

Research suggests that one in three babies is born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome for every 1,000 live births (Nevitt). When a woman opts to drink alcohol, it enters their bloodstream and reaches your developing fetus by crossing the placenta. The fetus metabolizes alcohol more slowly, so the developing fetus’ blood alcohol concentrations are elevated. The presence of alcohol can impair a baby's developing tissues, organs, and can permanently injure brain cells (KidsHealth). “Children with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome develop and learn at a much slower rate than children without Fetal Alcohol Syndrome” (Nevitt).

Signs of FAS and FAE:

Signs at birth for Fetal Alcohol Syndrome or Fetal Alcohol Effects to notice are (1) low birth weight, (2) small head circumference, (3) failure to thrive, (4) developmental delay, (5) organ dysfunction, (6) facial abnormalities, including smaller eye openings, flattened cheekbones, and indistinct philtrum (an underdeveloped groove between the nose and the upper lip), (7) epilepsy, (8) poor coordination / fine motor skills, (9) poor socialization skills, such as difficulty building and maintaining friendships and relating to groups, (10) lack of imagination or curiosity, (11) learning difficulties, including poor memory, inability to understand concepts such as time and money, poor language comprehension, poor problem-solving skills, and (12) behavioral problems, including hyperactivity, inability to concentrate, social withdrawal, stubbornness, impulsiveness, and anxiety. As one can see from the list of complications, children with prenatal alcohol introduction are at risk for a variety of difficulties at school (Green, 2007).

Learning Problems with FAS and FAE:

It is hard to interact with a child with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. “The average IQ of a child with Fetal alcohol syndrome is sixty-five while a ‘normal’ child is somewhere around one-hundred.” The have learning disabilities that include: (1) “difficulty generalizing information,” (2) “difficulty matching words and behavior,” (3) “difficulty mastering new skills or remembering something that they have recentally learned,” (4) they have a “spotty memory” which means remembering “something that happened a year ago but not the day before,” (5) they can only understand one concept in one way and cannot easily use it in a new context, (6) “difficulty in predicting outcomes,” (7) tend to make the same mistakes repeatedly, (8) “difficulty distinguishing fact from fantasy,” and (9) difficult distinguishing friends from strangers” (Nevitt).

Ingestion of alcohol: how much is too much?

So how much alcohol is too much alcohol? It is determined that overindulging on alcohol during pregnancy is hazardous, yet there is not any evidence existing that can determine exactly how much alcohol ingestion will manufacture birth defects. This is because each woman processes alcohol in a different way. Other factors vary the results such as the (1) age of the mother, (2) timing and regularity of the alcohol ingestion, and (3) whether the mother has eaten any food while drinking. Although full-blown Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is the result of chronic alcohol use during pregnancy, FAE and ARND may occur with only occasional or binge drinking (O’Connor, 2007). “A woman planning to get pregnant should not drink before the pregnancy, during the pregnancy, nor while breast-feeding” (Nevitt).

Research Study on Alcohol Consumption and Planned Pregnancy:

From the years 1995 to 1997 a ten-percent random sample of all nonindigenous women that gave birth in Western Australia were surveyed twelve weeks after delivery (N=4,839). These women were questioned about their alcohol consumption during the three months before pregnancy and at each trimester. Questions posed to the women were used to measure (1) volume of alcohol, (2) frequency of consumptions, and (3) types of alcoholic beverages ingested. The results showed that 46.7% of the women had not planned their pregnancy. Therefore a high percentage of 79.8% of most women reported drinking alcohol in the first three months before pregnancy, with 58.7% consuming alcohol in at least one trimester of pregnancy. The percentage of women consuming one to two drinks on a typical occasion did not change much during pregnancy, but the number of instances drinking declined. Women generally reduced their average alcohol consumptions and the number of standard drinks on a classic occasion as their pregnancy progressed. The conclusion was that it is vital that all women of child-bearing age be conscious, well before they mull over getting pregnant, of the risks drinking any alcoholic beverage during their pregnancy so they can make knowledgeable decisions about their alcohol consumption while carrying their offspring (Bower, 2007).

Long-term study on amounts of Alcohol:

Then, after another an exhausting thirty-five year study ranging from the years 1970 to 2005, the conclusion stated that there was no difference whether a women drank low or moderate amounts of alcohol and the effect on their child. Neither low nor moderate intake of alcoholic beverages is safe, but the actual amount unless it is a large sum has really no distinct difference on the outcome between low to moderate levels of consumed alcohol (Brocklehurst, 2007).

Prevention of FAS and FAE:

Although doctors can not diagnose Fetal Alcohol Syndrome before a baby is born, they can evaluate the physical condition of mother and baby during pregnancy. If one reports the timing and amount of alcohol consumption, an obstetrician or other health care providers can help determine the risk of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (CNN.com). “Education is essential in preventing Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Studies show that more and more women are aware that drinking alcohol during pregnancy can cause birth defects” (Nevitt). If only Nicole would have planned her pregnancy, maybe her son wouldn’t have to suffer her mistake for the rest of his life. If you don’t plan to get pregnant, condoms or birth control. Take the time to research different types of birth control and their effectiveness so that no one has to bear the burden that Nicole made when she gave birth to Dillon.

Bibliography

Bower, C., Colvin, L., Kurinczuk, J., Parasons, D., Payne, J. (2007). Alcohol Consumption During Pregnancy in Nonindigenous West Australian Women. Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, 31. Retrieved March 29, 2007 from http://prox1.harper.cc.il.us:2052/ehost/detail?vid=9&hid=104&sid=b12a2114-5b01-409a-a5ad-459e1ee36a3a%40sessionmgr109

Brocklehurst, P., Gray, R., Henderson, J. (2007). Systematic Review of Effects of Low-Moderate Prenatal Alcohol Exposure on Pregnancy Outcome. BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, 114. Retrieved March 29 19, 2007, from http://prox1.harper.cc.il.us:2052/ehost/detail?vid=4&hid=118&sid=02d36f43-6e48-4afb-adb6-423bd2fd465f%40sessionmgr106

Dorris, M. (1989). The Broken Cord. New York: Harper and Row Publishers, Inc.

Green, J. (2007). Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders: Understanding the Effects of prenatal Alcohol Exposure and Supporting Students. Journal of School Health, 77. Retrieved March 29, 2007, from http://prox1.harper.cc.il.us:2052/ehost/detail?vid=4&hid=109&sid=f8baf624-ccc5-4e3a-b9f6-9eb0240089d7%40sessionmgr107

Health/Library (2007). CNN.com. Retrieved March 28, 2007 from http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/library/DS/00184.html

KidsHealth (2007). Nemours Foundation: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Retrieved March 27, 2007 from http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/medical/brain/fas.html

Mitchell, K. (2002). Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: Practical Suggestions and support for Families and Caregivers. USA: National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.

Nevitt, A. (1996). Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. New York: The Rosen Publishing Group.

O’Connor, M.J., Whaley, S. (2007).Brief Intervention for Alcohol Used by Pregnant Women. American Journal of Public Health, 97. Retrieved March 29, 2007, from http://prox1.harper.cc.il.us:2052/ehost/detail?vid=9&hid=104&sid=b12a2114-5b01-409a-a5ad-459e1ee36a3a%40sessionmgr109