What+is+Fetal+Alcohol+Syndrome?

= WHAT IS FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME? =

[|http://www.dnaindia.com/health/report] (2)
FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME (FAS) =Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) can occur when a woman consumes alcohol at any time during her pregnancy. The alcohol crosses the placental barrier through the bloodstream and can affect the developing fetus in a variety of ways. = =“Only about 50 substances are capable of crossing the placental barrier” (3) (Kenneth Lomp, October 2010) and alcohol is one of them. = =As women process alcohol in different ways, it isn't possible to determine just how much alcohol needs to be consumed to cause defects. The fetus processes alcohol at a much slower rate and, therefore, ends up with higher blood alcohol levels. = =Babies born from mothers who consumed alcohol during their first trimester (the first 3 months of their pregnancy) tend to give birth to children with the most severe affects as the fetus’s brain is developing at this = =stage. = “Consuming alcohol in any form during pregnancy is dangerous to the fetus. Alcohol is officially classified as a known //teratogen//, which means it can cause birth defects in the fetus. The more alcohol a pregnant woman drinks, the greater the risk of the fetus developing FAS or FAE. Drinking early in pregnancy may cause changes in the facial features, heart and other organs, bones, and the central nervous system. In Canada, about 15% of women use alcohol during pregnancy” (4) [|www.bodyandhealth.canada.com/condition] = “No one knows exactly what harmful effects even the smallest amount of alcohol has on a developing baby”  (5) [|www.babycenter.com] = = ”Drinking endangers your growing baby in a number of ways: It increases the risk of miscarriage and stillbirth. As little as one drink a day can raise the odds for low birth weight and raise your child's risk for problems with learning, speech, attention span, language, and hyperactivity. And some research has shown that expectant moms who have as little as one drink a //week // are more likely than nondrinkers to have children who later exhibit aggressive and delinquent behavior.” (6) [|www.babycenter.com] = = “Yet many pregnant women do drink alcohol. It's estimated that each year in the United States, 1 in every 750 infants is born with a pattern of physical, developmental, and functional problems referred to as fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)” (7) [|www.kidshealth.org] = =<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: normal; margin: auto 0in;">Although the danger to a developing fetus could include miscarriage, stillborn birth or cause defects that could affect their children for the rest of their lives….some women still continue to drink during pregnancy! = =<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: normal; margin: auto 0in;">“FAS can be completely prevented by not drinking any alcohol during pregnancy” = = <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: normal;">The safest choice for your baby is: = = <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16pt;">“DON’T DRINK DURING PREGNANCY!” = =<span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: normal; margin: auto 0in;">**Please see Tisha’s Story (8) - Tisha's Story= =Prevention=