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Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is
what can happen to your baby if you drink while you’re pregnant. FAS
babies have physical and mental defects. Their brains may be too small.
A baby with FAS can suffer from mental retardation, central nervous
dysfunction, organ dysfunction, and facial abnormalities.
THESE
DISABILITIES LAST A LIFETIME
FAS is the leading known
cause of mental retardation. The Centers for Disease Control estimate
that at least 8,000 infants are born each year with FAS, or about one
out of every 750 live births.
FAS is diagnosed by three
criteria:
- Growth retardation,
including low birth weight and inability to grow and catch
up with peers;
- Central nervous system
involvement, including developmental delays, intellectual
impairment, and behavioral problems; and
- Distinctive facial features,
including narrow eye slits, flat midface, and loss of groove
between nose and upper lip.WHAT CAUSES FAS?
When pregnant
women drink alcohol, the alcohol poisons the unborn baby. The
alcohol enters her bloodstream and then passes to the baby. An
adult’s liver can filter out most of the harmful effects of
alcohol, but a baby’s tiny liver cannot. A large amount of
alcohol can stay in the baby’s body for as long as 24 hours.
EVEN ONE OR TWO
DRINKS WILL HIT YOUR BABY A LOT HARDER THAN IT HITS YOU. YOUR
BABY’S HANGOVER CAN LAST ALL OF HIS/HER LIFE.
Is there any time
during pregnancy when it's safer to drink?
No.
There is no safe time to drink once a woman is pregnant.
Alcohol can affect an unborn baby during any stage of
pregnancy.
First Trimester: This
appears to be the most critical time when abnormal features
can be caused. Alcohol may affect the way cells grow and
arrange themselves as they multiply, altering tissue growth
in the part of the fetus that is developing at the time of
exposure. The brain is particularly sensitive to alcohol,
which diminishes the number of cells growing in the brain.
The early loss of cells in the developing fetus may help
explain overall retarded growth and low birth weight in
babies with FAS.
Second Trimester:
Miscarriage is a major risk during this time. There may be
times of fetal distress related to “binge” drinking.
Third Trimester:
During this period the fetus normally undergoes rapid and
substantial growth. Alcohol can impair this growth. This is
also the time of greatest brain development. Research with
animals indicates the brain and central nervous system are
at great risk during the third trimester.
Is it okay to
drink beer or wine when I'm pregnant as long as I don't drink
hard liquor?
No.
All alcohol is equally harmful to an unborn baby.
What is "Fetal
Alcohol Effects?"
A less severe version of FAS
is often referred to as Fetal Alcohol Effects (FAE). It is
also caused by the mother drinking alcohol during her
pregnancy. Less severe FAE occurs in approximately 10 to 12
live births out of 1,000 (36,000 babies per year).
Characteristics of FAE babies
include:
- Low birth weights;
- Irritability and
hyperactivity during the newborn period;
- Short attention spans;
- Learning disabilities; and
- Behavioral disabilities
that often do not appear until the child is older.
YOUR BABY SHOULD
BE HEALTHY AND BEAUTIFUL. DON’T TAKE ANY UNNECESSARY RISKS.
DON’T DRINK WHILE YOU’RE PREGNANT!
Is there a cure
for FAS?
There is no cure. Once the
damage is done, it cannot be reversed. However, FAS can be
completely prevented by not drinking alcohol while pregnant.
THERE IS NO
KNOWN SAFE DOSE OF ALCOHOL DURING PREGNANCY, NOR DOES THERE
APPEAR TO BE A SAFE TIME TO DRINK DURING PREGNANCY.
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