The aboriginal population in Canada is growing, and it is known that 56% of Aboriginals live on an rural reserve or community (Government of Canada, 2014; NCCAH, 2011). It is important to note that those Aboriginals living on reserves and in communities have a significantly higher rate of health issues than those living in cities (NCCAH, 2011). This stems from the limited access to healthcare that Aboriginal rural areas receive (NCCAH, 2011). The lack of healthcare causes higher numbers in diseases, conditions, and disorders among the Aboriginal people of Canada (NCCAH, 2011). Aboriginals in Canada have a greater number of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) cases than non-Aboriginals in Canada, with most of the cases being found in the Aboriginal rural communities (Health Canada, 2006; Pacey, 2009; Masotti et al., 2006). Although FASD is difficult to measure accurately in Aboriginal communities, researches estimated that the number of cases of FASD in Aboriginal infants is double the number in non-Aboriginal infants (Pacey, 2010). It is common to jump to blaming the Aboriginal mothers of children with FASD for these high rates, however there could be underlying reasons to consider before placing blame. One of the main reasons for the high numbers of FASD in Aboriginal communities is because of their severe lack …show more content…
This can be linked to the lack of healthcare within Aboriginal reserves and communities. Healthcare professionals educate pregnant women on the effects of alcohol on their babies, however if there are no healthcare professionals in Aboriginal communities they do not receive this education. The lack of healthcare also results in no or little support and help to those women battling alcohol abuse in Aboriginal communities. The women end up consuming alcohol while they are pregnant resulting in FASD because of the inadequate health professionals
Sherwood & Edwards (2006) cite that the worldview of health is in direct conflict with the Indigenous worldview and the way health and wellbeing are considered by Aboriginal people. Aboriginal health, care and wellbeing is not just the physical well-being of the individual but includes the social, emotional and cultural wellbeing of the individual and community (Sherwood & Edwards, 2006). Rather than focusing on isolating the specific cause of illness, health initiatives for Aboriginal communities look beyond the traditional biomedical model and adopt a model that incorporates the broader social determinants of health, which focus on Aboriginal societal structures and psychosocial factors (Dudgeon, 2014). Hence Aboriginal people view health differently, their concerns for health issues are diverse requiring a holistic and informed response.
Although the health of some Aboriginal peoples is gradually improving, it is generally still poorer than the health of non-Aboriginal peoples living in Ontario. The Aboriginal Peoples Survey indicates that the most commonly reported chronic health conditions for Aboriginal peoples in Ontario over 15 years of age and living off reserve are: arthritis or rheumatism, high blood pressure, asthma, stomach problems, diabetes, and heart problems. (Noelle Spotton. 2001, page. 20)
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
Alcoholism is a real threat to pregnant women. In particular, there is a huge rise in Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) cases, which is when an unborn fetus actually becomes addicted to and dependent on alcohol passed from the mother. In 1996, only 0.5 to 3.0 cases were confirmed for every 1,000 pregnancies, but today, that number is a staggering 20 to 50 cases per 1,000
As health professionals, we must look beyond individual attributes of Indigenous Australians to gain a greater understanding and a possible explanation of why there are such high rates of ill health issues such as alcoholism, depression, abuse, shorter life expectancy and higher prevalence of diseases including diabetes, heart disease and obesity in our indigenous population. Looking at just the individual aspects and the biomedical health model, we don’t get the context of Aboriginal health. This is why we need to explore in further detail what events could have created such inequities in Aboriginal health. Other details that we should consider are the historical and cultural factors such as, ‘terra nullius’, dispossession and social
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
Since FAS is such a prevalent problem, researchers have had to come up with different way to try and help prevent it. The most prominent solution to FAS is making the people aware of the consequences of drinking while pregnant (Hankin). Most people do not think about how drinking does not affect just them or they just simply don’t care. Even though most people are aware that they are not suppose to drink while pregnant it is crucial that warning signs are put up and labels are put on all alcoholic products (Hankin). This will hopefully make those that are drinking conscious of their decisions and have no excuses for their action. Because most people
As health professionals, we must look beyond individual attributes of Indigenous Australians to gain a greater understanding and a possible explanation of why there are such high rates of ill health issues such as alcoholism, depression, abuse, shorter life expectancy and higher prevalence of diseases including diabetes, heart disease and obesity in our indigenous population. Looking at just the individual aspects and the biomedical health model, we don’t get the context of Aboriginal health. This is why we need to explore in further detail what events could have created such inequities in Aboriginal health. Other details that we should consider are the historical and cultural factors such as, ‘terra nullius’, dispossession and social
“Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is an umbrella term describing the range of effects that can occur in an individual whose mother drank alcohol during pregnancy. These effects may include physical, mental, behavioral, and/or learning disabilities with possible lifelong implications” (HHS, 2005). FASD refers to conditions such as: fetal alcohol syndrome including partial FAS, fetal alcohol effects (FAE), alcohol related neurodevelopment disorder, alcohol-related birth defects. The conditions that are involved with FASD can range from mild to severe and it is not likely that two people share the exact same symptoms.
As Perry Bellegarde, Chief of the Assembly of First Nations said, Trudeau’s claims finally allow for an optimistic view of the general aboriginal community’s future (Mas, 2015). Indeed, it is promising to witness the government taking action towards addressing issues such as lack of funding in aboriginal education, as it is these issues along with indecent access to fresh produce or to proper entertainment, which most often leads to both physical and mental health problems in First Nation communities. Furthermore, although most of the Canadian population is aware of the health issues faced by aboriginal communities, what seems to be lesser known is that the cause of those issues go far beyond maladaptive genes. Consequently, measures addressing the socioeconomic risk factors, such as access to adequate health services, must be taken as soon as possible.
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.
All communities nationwide, and especially high-risk women in their childbearing years, need better information about the dangers of drinking during pregnancy. But most health care providers are unfamiliar with and untrained in the issues of substance abuse
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
Alcohol abuse is one of the greatest killers of Native American youth (1979). One of the major birth defects among Indian children is Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (B.Zuniga). Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, (FAS), is caused by consuming alcohol during pregnancy. It causes retardation, attention deficit disorder, facial deformities, or even death. Because of the high consumption rate of alcohol among the Native American culture and poor prenatal care, there are a number of children born in need of special care and special education. Increasingly, second and third generations of special needs children are being born, causing an alarming concern among the medical and educational societies (B. Zuniga). This need for is not higher than other ethnic backgrounds, but it is a reality.
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.