Birth Defect: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

This birth defect manifests itself in a cluster of different but related problems due to the exposure to alcohol during fetal development. The cluster of problems may be referred to as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD).

Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is a birth defect that is the result of maternal drinking of alcoholic beverages during the pregnancy. It is a preventable birth defect in that pregnant women who avoid consuming alcohol can prevent this particular birth defect from occurring.

All fetuses of pregnant women who drink alcohol while pregnant are at risk for fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS).

The effects of FAS are irreversible and can include mental and behavioral problems. There are as many as 40,000 babies born each year in the United States who are diagnosed with FAS.

Symptoms of FAS:

This birth defect manifests itself in a cluster of different but related problems due to the exposure to alcohol during fetal development. The cluster of problems may be referred to as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD).

Fetal alcohol syndrome is a leading cause of mental retardation and yet it is preventable and to this day is still ranking the most prevalent cause of mental retardation - a truly dismaying statement.

Symptoms:

Small eyes, very thin upper lip and a short turned up nose

Heart defects

Deformity of joints, limbs and fingers

Delayed physical growth before birth and after birth

Heart Birth Defects The damage that causes movement impairment can occur during the fetal development stage, during the birthing process or can be caused by brain damage that occurs in the first few years of life. Cerebral palsy can be mild, moderate or severe.

Vision difficulties

Hearing difficulties

Small head circumference

Small brain size (microcephaly)

Mental retardation

Delayed development

Short attention span

Hyperactivity

Poor impulse control

Extreme nervousness and anxiety

Physicians may use other terms to describe the symptoms of FAS such as: Alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder (ARND) which refers to the mental and behaviorl impairments experienced as a result of exposure to alcohol during fetal development and alcohol-related birth defects (ARBDs) which refer to the physical defects that occur as a result of FAS.

What causes FAS?

When a pregnant woman drinks alcohol, it enters her bloodstream, crosses over through the placenta into the baby's bloodstream. The unborn baby has a much slower metabolism than its mom and thus the alcohol concentrations are higher. The alcohol will impair the optimal nutrition for the baby's developing tissues and organs and can even damage brain cells. The risk increases the more alcohol the mom consumes. Impairment to the developing baby includes facial features, organs including the heart, bones, the central nervous system and the brain. The most damage can be done during the first trimester when some women may not even know that they are pregnant. Brain damage can be done at any stage of pregnancy.

Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can lead to birth defects and it can cause miscarriage. Women who can conceive, suspect they may be pregnant or are pregnant should not consume any alcohol. The more alcohol consumed the higher the risk for birth defects.

Today's News About Birth Defects

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12/05/2008
Blood drive has special meaning for teacher (Santa Maria Times)
As the first anniversary of her infant daughter’s death approached, Dunlap School teacher Kelly Sanders found herself searching for a way to channel her grief into something positive.

Blood drive has special meaning for teacher (Santa Maria Times)

12/03/2008
Male Birth Defect May Be Linked To Genetic Mutations (Medical News Today)
Cryptorchidism, the congenital birth defect in which one or both testicles fail to descend into the scrotum, has been associated with certain genetic mutations, including a syndrome which is also a common cause of infertility, according to a study released on November 19, 2008 in JAMA.

Male Birth Defect May Be Linked To Genetic Mutations (Medical News Today)

11/30/2008
Cosmetics 'increase birth defect risk' (Daily Telegraph)
PREGNANT woman have been warned to make-do without make-up because it could lead to birth defects.

Cosmetics 'increase birth defect risk' (Daily Telegraph)

12/02/2008
Aviator uses feet to fly (KVOA Tucson)
Flying through a crisp blue sky in San Manuel is an plane piloted by a 25-year-old woman without arms. Jessica Cox has a congenital birth defect. She doesn't have arms so she uses her feet to do almost everything including fly a plane.

Aviator uses feet to fly (KVOA Tucson)

11/30/2008
Cosmetics 'increase birth defect risk' (Daily Telegraph)
PREGNANT woman have been warned to make-do without make-up because it could lead to birth defects.

Cosmetics 'increase birth defect risk' (Daily Telegraph)

12/01/2008
Using cosmetics during pregnancy 'increase birth defect risk' (New Kerala)
Melbourne, Dec 1 : Pregnant woman have been warned against the use of cosmetics, for they could lead to birth defects.

Using cosmetics during pregnancy 'increase birth defect risk' (New Kerala)

12/03/2008
Surgery bill too costly for them (The New Straits Times)
GEORGE TOWN: Month-old Cheah Zong Ting had an urgent operation recently to correct a heart-related birth defect. The operation at the Gleneagles Medical Centre here was to litigate a large patent ductus arteriosus -- the presence of an extra blood vessel outside the heart.

Surgery bill too costly for them (The New Straits Times)