Alternative Treatment Of Children With Prenatal Alcohol Exposure

Although throughout the United States activist and educational campaigns have flooded U.S citizens with education on the detrimental effects of maternal alcohol consumption, women are still continuing to consume alcohol while pregnant. Fifty three percent of non-pregnant woman drink alcohol, and despite health warnings, twelve percent of pregnant mothers in the United States still consume alcohol (Pruett &Waterman & Caughey, 2013, p. 62). Fetal alcohol exposure is also believed to be widely underreported in the United States (Pruett et al., 2013, p. 66). Current research concludes that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption, nor a safe time during gestation for alcohol consumption to take place (National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome [NOFAS], 2014). Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) is an umbrella term used for the various conditions that maternal alcohol consumption causes. Although each case of FASD can present differently, cognitive disabilities, facial deformities, and growth retention are a few of the hallmark adverse effects that alcohol has when it enters fetal circulation (Paley & O’Connor, 2011, p. 64). The United States is impacted economically by these debilitating conditions as well, as it costs our nation $746 million dollars annually to care for these children (Bhuvaneswar, Chang, Epstein & Stern, 2007, p. 3). Nurses in America, and across the globe have a key role in helping to eliminate, and minimize adverse effects of these conditions

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is a concise, uniform definition for conditions caused by prenatal alcohol exposure. FASD is a broad term used to describe the range of effects that can occur in an individual whose mother drank alcohol during pregnancy (Caley, Kramer, & Robinson, 2005). Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder can also cause growth retardation, birth defectscomma and deficits in cognitive, languagecomma and motor development (Coles et al., 2015). Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder is a teratogenic effect, which is caused by daily, chronic, heavy and frequent alcohol use while in utero. Chances of an infant diagnosed with FASD are 0.5 to 3 in 1,000 live births (Cone-Wesson, 2005). Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder has many different diagnoses. There is fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), partial fetal alcohol syndrome (PFAS)comma and alcohol-related neuro-developmental disorder (ARND)comma all under the fetal alcohol spectrum disorder umbrella (Brown et al., 2015). Maternal alcohol use is correlated to the timing, frequencycomma and quantity of the consumption of alcohol during pregnancy. Drinking during the first trimester may not be as detrimental as drinking during the second or third trimester. The frequency of alcohol consumed is also a key factor in FASD, such as how often per day drinks are consumed, the quantity of alcohol consumed, and how many glasses or cans per day the mother consumes

This paper explores the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on motor development. With this topic, came many questions. They are: Is every child effected the same amount, or does it depends on how much the mother drank and how much the fetus was exposed to?, Is there anything the mother can do to reverse the effects of exposure, or perhaps lessen the damage on the child?, Is there a safe amount of alcohol that can be consumed without harm?, And lastly, do the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure ever go away? Coles et al. (2015) and Lucas et al. (2016) suggest answers and evidence to these questions. This paper explains what happens when a fetus is exposed to alcohol, and how it

As a result of pregnant women drinking, there have been a profuse amount of children born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Armstrong and Abel confirm that it wasn’t until 1973

The term “Fetal Alcohol Spectrum disorders” (FASDS) is used to describe the numerous problems associated with exposure to alcohol before birth. Each year in the United States, up to 40,000 babies are born with “Fetal Alcohol Spectrum disorders” (FASDs) (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration). Additionally, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum disorders (FASDs) comes with effects that range from mild to severe. These effects include mental retardation; learning, emotional and behavioral problems; and defects involving the heart, face and other organs. According to the U.S. Surgeon General, the patterns of drinking that place a baby at greatest risk for FASDS are binge drinking and drinking seven or more drinks per week (Surgeon General). However, FASDS can occur in babies of women who drink less. There is no way of measuring how much alcohol one can consume before defects occur, and no proof that small amounts of alcohol are safe. As little as one drink a day can cause a baby some degree of harm and interfere with their normal development.

FAS is defined as a medical diagnosis involving four key features: alcohol exposure, growth deficiently, certain facial features, and brain damage. Infants who have been exposed to prenatal alcohol rarely show all symptoms of the medical condition FAS. Other terms have been used to describe the implication involved with FAS. Frequently used terms are: Partial Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Alcohol-related Neurodevelopmental Disorder and Alcohol-related Birth Defects. A child with Partial Fetal Alcohol syndrome exhibits only some of the physical signs of FAS and will likely have both learning and behavioral difficulties. A child suffering from Alcohol-related Neurodevelopmental Disorder will demonstrate signs of neural damage, problems with memory, poor social skills, and learning difficulties. Children diagnosed with

The use of illicit drugs and abuse of alcohol exact a steep price from our society. Substance abuse is a factor in many serious ills such as crime. More upsetting, however, is the affects that it has on children born affected from their dependent mothers. The National Institute on Drug Abuse estimates that 60 percent of women of childbearing age consume alcoholic beverages despite the fact that alcohol consumption during pregnancy is implicated in a wide range of birth defects and developmental disabilities, including mental retardation, physical abnormalities, and visual and auditory impairments. (Nevitt, 1996)

Every year, about 40,000 babies are born with symptoms of prenatal alcohol exposure (Lupton, 2003). This number will only continue to grow if the risk of drinking alcohol while pregnant is not brought to the people’s attention. When the mother takes a drink of alcohol, so does the fetus, which will cause physical and behavioral problems after birth. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is completely preventable and irreversible. FAS awareness and prevention is important; expectant mothers need to know the background information about the syndrome, some common symptoms, signs, and treatments, and the mental and physical abnormalities that will occur because of this lifelong syndrome.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is a disorder that occurs when a mother consumes alcohol while pregnant. Individuals with FAS may face many problems such as, bad vision, hearing impairments, memory difficulty, communicative hurdles, and much more (Bergen & Yu, 2012). In began in 1981 when expecting mothers were advised not to drink while pregnant (Alcohol Policies Project, n.d). However, is 1995 4 times more mothers were consuming alcohol in comparison to a few years earlier in 1991 (Alcohol Policies Project, n.d). In addition, 52 percent of women ages 18-34 claimed to have been consuming alcohol while pregnant (Alcohol Policies Project, n.d). The reason for a mothers decision to drink is unknown, it could possibly be that mothers have read reports

Even though there are many studies that highlight the damaging effects of maternal alcohol use on a fetus in utero, there are a multitude of other substances that are used by pregnant mothers that have similar and even, in some cases, more extreme repercussions such as marijuana, heroin, and cocaine. When speaking about pregnancy and drug use, the most common drug that comes to mind is alcohol. During 12 years of schooling, most people are exposed, at one point or another, to the idea of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and the detrimental effects of alcohol on a fetus in utero. The effects of maternal use of the aforementioned illicit drugs is less studied, partially because they are used less frequently. It is important, however, that as a population, we become more educated about these drugs and the potentially life threatening outcomes for babies in utero.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) refers to a group of physical and mental birth defects resulting from a women’s drinking alcohol heavily or at crucial stages during pregnancy. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome was first named and treated in the late 1960's. This condition results from the toxic effect of alcohol and its chemical factors on the developing fetus. FAS is the leading cause of mental retardation occurring in 1 out of every 750 births. The frequency of FAS occurs about 1.9 times out of every 1000 births according to the latest figures, and minor effects can be seen in up to 20% of pregnancies per year. This number changes drastically for women who are clearly alcoholics. As high as 29 children out of every 1000 births will suffer from FAS

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (known as FASD), is a term which encompasses a wide variety of negative health consequences as a result of exposure to alcohol while in the womb (Williams, 2006). This exposure has the potential to cause severe, permanent brain damage leading to cognitive and behavioural deficiencies throughout childhood and adolescence (Brown et al., 2015). FASD only occurs within the general population of North America in approximately 9.1 out of every 1000 births (McLachlan et al., 2014). However, this condition is much more prevalent in individuals involved in various stages of the justice system, affecting between 10% and 23% (McLachlan et al., 2014). This paper aims to explain how FASD affects a juvenile’s brain

Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) refers to the physical and mental disabilities or abnormalities resulting from maternal alcohol use while fetal alcohol effects (FAE) or partial FAS refer to other abnormalities such as social, sensory, or behavioral. The uniformity of FASD is utilized to include those suffering from substantial impairment to include not only those with FAS but also comprising alcohol neuro-developmental disorder (ARND) and/or alcohol related birth defects (ARBD). Estimates suggest that individuals having the complete range of partial FAS or ARBD equates to “at least 10 in 1000…translating to 40,000 children born every year…and far more common than other more well known developmental disabilities, such as Down syndrome and autism”

The fastest sperm has finally reached the outskirts of the awaiting egg, its sole purpose in life has been fulfilled as it fuses with the oocyte. Lots of divisions begin to occur, what was once a zygote becomes a blastocyst, which becomes the embryo, and the beginning formation of a baby has commenced. The difficult part is over now, right? This could not be further from the truth. The development of a human, from fertilization to birth, is a very complex and intricate process. It is through very specific processes that an embryo develops normally, without any sort of functional or structural irregularities. When harmful substances like alcohol interrupt these processes, the contaminated environment surrounding and

Alcohol is a substance that should be consumed in moderation, and should be used responsibly. Similar to any substance, there are consequences that come with the irresponsible and abusive use of it. Not only the drinker is affected by alcohol abuse. People around them including family, friends, potential offspring and even Canada’s Health Care System are affected too. Specific to the health care system, there is a burden placed on it in regards to Fetal Alcohol Spectrum disorder (FASD) a variety of disorders grouped together as a result of the abuse of alcohol while pregnant. Alcohol abuse is a factor that contributes to health issues that some women endure from engaging in activities such as the consumption of alcohol while pregnant. Thus, Canada’s health care system has to deal with the outcome associated with alcohol-related health problems, specifically, FASD.