The Effects and Causes of Fetal Alcohols Spectrum Disorders Essay Example for Free

The Effects and Causes of Fetal Alcohols Spectrum Disorders Essay Drinking while pregnant is a bad decision. Sometimes the child will result in certain health problems, and at times they will be perfectly healthy. The effects are referred to as FASD (Fetal Alcohols Spectrum Disorders). FASD can take form as many various effects. Many people are aware of these effects but they do not realize that moderate alcohol exposure to the fetus can be just as harmful to the baby as frequent exposure. Though this might leave some people thinking that some pregnant women do not realize their pregnancy for many weeks after conception, and how might they know when no to drink. Well, the women who are trying to become pregnant or women who think they may be pregnant should not drink at all. This is due to the possibilities of pregnancy. (March) When women first get pregnant only about 40 percent of the women notice the pregnancy right away (CDC). Studies by the CDC have published that with each live birth in the United States 0.2 – 1.5 out of 1,000 of those births are babies with FASD effects. In a period of 15 years it has been noted that 1 out of 8 women have admitted to drinking during their pregnancy (CDC). This just shows how unaware mothers are of their drinking’s lasting effects on their children and the strain these effects will bring to their families and friends. There are various symptoms, referring to health, of FASD some of the more major according to the Mayo Clinic are heart defects, slow growth before and after birth, problems with sight and hearing, learning deficiency, small brain size, joint and bone deformities, balance and coordination errors, sleep problems, mental retardation, short attention span, and issues controlling anxiety and impulsive behaviors. Some of the visible effects of FASD are a small head size and facial flattening (MC). The causes are simply stated, easily understood, but yet people do not always agree with them. To make the situation more easily understood, we can say that when you drink the alcohol goes into your bloodstream as a form of energy; the blood is shared amongst you and your unborn child. Therefore the baby gets alcohol into its blood and its slow metabolism cannot handle the amounts of alcohol that an adult woman can. This process also causes the oxygen to moves very slowly into the fetus and therefore the organs cannot get enough oxygen to grow properly (MC). It is known when the baby is most likely to be harmed and where development is risked during the stages of pregnancy. In the first three months of the pregnancy the baby is most likely to have facial deformation, and in the remainder of the pregnancy, the baby is at risk of growth of the central nervous system. When pregnant it is unknown how much alcohol consumed that it takes to cause risks to your baby. It could range differently with the woman’s metabolism, health, and age. Seeing that it is unknown of the amount for risks, it would just be safer to not drink at all while pregnant or if you might be pregnant (MC). If your baby has FASD it will not be evident until the birth, unless you tell your doctor that you have drank and he can check for signs and symptoms in the fetus. The signs that can be noticed while the baby is in the womb are small changes in growth, strange facial features, heart deformities, and all around behavior. This is to say that your FASD baby will be unplanned for and that you are always at risk if you have drank. There has been no cure found for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder and most of its effects do not ware off with time. A cure for one of the more major signs, heart disorders, can be surgery. And if you have a learning disability that does not leave you mentally impaired, a special learning course in school will usually be very helpful. And with all the stress of the effects the parents may need counseling to cope with their mistakes and child’s behavior (MC). If FASD is evident before the age of six, medication can usually be provided to help with mental and social abilities (CDC). If you’re a parent with a child who suffers from FASD it is good to treat them as any parent would treat their child. Some of the things you can do to help them cope are giving them chores, teach them skills for daily living, teach them to hold their ground and stand tall, reward their good behavior, and teach the child daily routine (MC). If a child is not diagnosed with FASD they might still have fetal alcohol effects (FAE). FAEs consist of two types the first being Alcohol-Related Neurodevelopment Disorder (ARND). ARND is the collection of metal problems a child can have without collectively having FASD, a child with ARND is bound to struggle in school, be impulsive, low memory mass, short attention spam, and bad deciphering skills. The other FAE are Alcohol-Related Birth Defects (ARBD). These are the deformities in the skeletal system due to drinking while pregnant. The deformities may be include in these areas of the body heart, kidneys, bones, and the whole auditory system (FAE). On of the more heard of FASDs is FAS (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome). FAS can lead to Fetal Death which is the most severe result in drinking while pregnant. But usually these people just experience face abnormality and growth problems. Some of the distinctive face abnormalities are a thin vermillion border, smooth philtrum, and small palpebral fissures. A child with FAS has a very hard time getting along with others and making friends (CDC). Children with FASDs often need extra help with simple tasks like walking, talking, and associating with others. These skills can be improved with special counselors at a young age, from birth to three years of age. This counseling is extremely important, so if it is noticed that the child has effects of FASD talk to your doctor immediately. The doctor might also recommend that the parents go through daily speech routines with their child. These routines will help the child reach their full potential and help them more as they reach high school age. As the child ages it is most often necessary for them to be in a special education class. A stable home life is a necessity for FASD cases. Children with FASD have a higher emotion to their surroundings, so moving frequently can cause mental breakdowns and tantrums. Therefore it is important to have a loving household and to care for you child with a great deal of attention. Help can also come from the community and friends to keep the child’s self esteem high and gleaming. And a high self esteem will help the child grow and keep them from criminal activity, dropping out, and unemployment (CDC.)Â  When your child has FASD they still need the same medical attention as a child without the sideffectts.