Observation

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Themido Tudela Pena Mafalda S.

EDU 144 Child Development 1

Ann Watts

        Fetal alcohol syndrome is common in America today, and can be very debilitating to the families and people who are dealing with FAS. Fetal alcohol syndrome affects an estimated 40,000 infants per year (N.O.F.A.S., 2008). It is more prevalent than Down syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, SIDS, Cystic Fibrosis, and Spina Bifida combined (N.O.F.A.S., 2008). This syndrome has many effects on the fetus, the newborn baby, the child and the adult that is dealing with it. Forsyth County has the second highest infant mortality rate in North Carolina due to FAS and many other contributing factors.

What is fetal alcohol syndrome? Fetal alcohol syndrome is growth, mental, and physical problems that may occur in a baby when a mother drinks alcohol during her pregnancy (MedlinePlus, 2014). When you use alcohol during pregnancy it poses extreme risk on the unborn baby, the baby could face mental and physical differences in his life (Bartoshesky, 2011). Babies who are born with fetal alcohol syndrome typically have problems that intensify as they get older (Bartoshesky, 2011). About 16 percent of pregnant women drink enough alcohol to be at risk for bearing a child with some negative effects (Nevitt, 1996). Fetal alcohol syndrome wasn’t diagnosed until about 20 years ago (Nevitt, 1996). There is no known amount of alcohol that is known to be safe to consume during pregnancy; if you drink during pregnancy, you place your baby at risk of fetal alcohol syndrome (Mayo Clinic, 2014). This can be a very devastating thing for families to deal with; while most kids will require many doctors’ visits and some may require surgery.

        FAS poses many threats on children. The problems of fetal alcohol syndrome can be detrimental. When you drink alcohol, it rapidly reaches your baby through the placenta via your bloodstream (Eriksen, 2013). Alcohol causes higher blood alcohol levels in your developing baby than in your body because a fetus metabolizes alcohol slower than an adult does (Mayo Clinic, 2014). The downsides caused by fetal alcohol syndrome vary from child to child, but defects caused by it are irreversible (Mayo Clinic, 2014). Doctors and nurses say that some babies smell like alcohol when they are born, and some babies are even born drunk (Nevitt, 1996). Children with FAS have different physical appearances then babies who don’t have it, these babies have a small head, a flattened nose, a thin upper lip, and small eyes (Nevitt, 1996). Fetal alcohol syndrome causes babies to have shorter-than-average birth height, low body weight and poor coordination (Streissguth, 2015). It causes many mental problems such as; hyperactive behavior, difficulty with attention and poor memory (Streissguth, 2015). FAS results in poor sucking reflexes which makes it hard on a baby to eat this could result in the baby losing more weight then what it is gaining, for example it could take a baby with fetal alcohol syndrome three hours to finish a four-ounce bottle of milk, which should take an average of about thirty to forty-five minutes depending on the baby (Nevitt, 1996). These babies tend to have trouble sleeping and normally do not develop a normal sleeping schedule (Nevitt, 1996). Many FAS babies are born premature and in some cases can survive outside of the womb with medical assistance. Premature babies usually have to stay in the hospital for a long time after birth (Nevitt, 1996). Some parents may not even know if their child has FAS if they have adopted a child and are not sure if the mother drank alcohol during her pregnancy or not; however if their child has learning or behavioral problems they should reach out to their doctor for assistance on the dealing with the syndrome or finding out what is going on (Mayo Clinic, 2014). FAS children can be hard to care for and often have a hard time with daily life and activities.