Subjects:
The Effects of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome on Infants
Prenatal exposure to alcohol can have detrimental effects throughout a child’s life. The primary concerns are changes in the brain that can lead to deficiencies in cognitive functioning, including memory and learning problems, attention deficits, poor motor coordination, and difficulties problem solving. The symptoms of prenatal exposure to alcohol are also known as fetal alcohol syndrome. These cognitive deficiencies cause long-term problems for children as they mature into adulthood in the areas of school, work, and social functioning.
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome was first recognized and identified in 1968. It is currently the leading cause of mental retardation in western civilization, outranking Down syndrome. In the United States, according to O’Malley and Nanson (O’Malley and Nanson, 2002), more than 5,000 infants are diagnosed each year. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is a pattern of mental and physical defects, which develops, in some unborn babies when the mother drinks too much alcohol during pregnancy. A baby born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome may be seriously handicap
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Green, H. There may also be times of fetal distress related to irregular periods of heavy drinking. Fetal Alcohol Effects is a condition where children are born with less dramatic physical defects, but with many of the same behavioral and psychosocial characteristics as those with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. If the mother's blood alcohol level is 0. A unified effort is required, given that this complex issue can affect everyone. (3) Growth disturbances: small size and weight with growth lag before and after birth. The Third Trimester is the period where the fetus normally undergoes rapid and substantial growth. According to Connor and Streissguth (Connor and Streissguth, 1996), the major areas of concern are: (1) Symptoms of mental retardation which include small head, problems with movement (motor retardation), poor muscle tone, and hearing disturbances; (2) Facial abnormalities such as small eyes and/or short eye openings, underdevelopment of the upper lip; and flattening of the upper lip ridges. If the mother drinks alcohol, the alcohol enters her blood stream and then, through the placenta, enters the blood supply of the growing baby.
Reference
Connor, P. Therefore, it is imperative that women are properly educated prior to becoming pregnant on the devastating effects of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.
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