My View of Lifespan Development

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

The affects of alcohol on a baby while in the womb can be very fatal. Yet many women will still continue to drink though pregnancy. Sarah a young woman recently got married and she and her husband Tom want to start a family. Sarah heard there are many substances that should be avoided during pregnancy and she is very concerned about alcohol. She usually drinks wine on the weekends with her friends, and usually has a glass of wine with Tom at the end of each workday. Sarah wants to know how substances can affect prenatal development, specially the effects of alcohol. Sarah has many questions like should she stop drinking all together or drink in small quantities when pregnant, should she change her alcohol consumption while trying to get pregnant, can she wait till she finds out she pregnant or wait even longer into the pregnancy to change her behaviors. I am going to answer her questions by discussing the potential effects of alcohol on physical, cognitive, and behavior development, and discussing how teratogen and timing of exposure can affect the baby.

Reproduction is currently a difficult and uncertain process that is subject to problems, mistakes and difficult. Joseph Fletcher, PhD., University of Virginia Medicine notes that the womb of a mother is a dark and dangerous place, a hazardous environment. While the embryo is developing into a fetus, it is completely dependent on the mother. So for example, if a woman drinks alcohol during her pregnancy, the chances of her child developing Fetal Alcohol Syndrome are high. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is not the only concern for pregnant women as major influences on the good development of the fetus include; eating and drinking habits, working habits, stresses on the body, physical movement & falls, taking enough vitamins to stimulate proper growth of the fetus, weight gain, the potential dangers to the mother & child of the childbirth process and much more. It would also be possible to correct any mutations in an embryo and dangerous genetic disorders would be detected and potentially eliminated or early termination of the embryo could be discussed.

On average, one in thirteen pregnant women have admitted to consuming one or more alcoholic beverage in their previous thirty days of pregnancy (“Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders”). Though one drink may seem miniscule in the scope of an eight to nine month pregnancy, any amount of alcohol exposure can be detrimental to a developing child, leading to life-changing disorders such as fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). Fetal alcohol syndrome, a severe potential consequence of alcohol consumption during pregnancy, starts when a pregnant woman drinks an alcoholic beverage according to Mayo Clinic (“Fetal Alcohol Syndrome”). Alcohol enters the bloodstream and then can travel throughout the body. Alcohol

Jacobson et al. (2002) indicated that prenatal exposure to high amounts of alcohol induced several developmental problems as the child grew up. It has been described that alcohol exposure during pregnancy causes several developmental problems in children. Some of these problems include a slower reaction to both visual and auditory stimuli (Mattson, 2006), growth retardation problems (Chasnoff, 2015), and motor impairment (Lucas, 2014). Additionally, Chasnoff observed that children that had been exposed to alcohol during pregnancy presented characteristic morphology defects such as an abnormal measurement of their upper lips and philtrum (Chasnoff, 2015).

The use of alcohol during pregnancy has a great amount of damage to the baby. Many research has been done to prove the danger of alcohol during pre-natal period. The pre-natal period is a very crucial time for the women, in which one wrong step can lead to life time of challenges. Alcohol consuming can lead to behavioral problems, and low birth weight in a baby. Many women in the U.S. and over the world are not educated about the harmful elements in alcohol and are exposed to such behavior which causes life challenging defects for their babies.

One of the most dangerous substances to human kind can be purchased for a reasonable price and consumed by the most unreasonable people. Alcohol, a psychoactive drug, found within many adult beverages causes countless problems for people suffering from addiction but even more devastating are the mothers who drink when pregnant. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is a disorder that refers to mental and physical effects of an individual whose mother consumed large quantities of alcohol during pregnancy. Alcohol can destroy neurons in a growing fetus along with causing problems with growth and weight. In the past, alcohol has been shown to be the number one leading factor in a raise of individuals suffering intellectual disabilities. The symptoms of the disorder are wide while the causes are quite limited. Many mothers may understand the effects of alcohol on a growing fetus and continuously ignore them, while others abstain completely to avoid any disabilities. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is a complex disorder that can be easily prevented by avoiding alcohol, yet it is still highly seen in modern day communities. The disorder can be distinguished easily from others because of its wide variety of symptoms. The causes of this disorder are also widely known to originate from a mothers use of alcohol and the effects on livelihoods have been documented. There are several treatments available for individuals suffering from this disorder and some may help restore normal lives to those

Prenatal drinking increases the risk for a wide range of catastrophic outcomes. For instance, spontaneous abortion which is where the fetus dies within the first twenty months of gestation. Evidence suggests that this is mostly associated with a mother who induced five more drinks per week but there is no consistent evidence for a mother who drank less. Stillbirth is another devastating outcome and is where the baby dies twenty weeks after gestation, current research

This study was over the duration of 12 years and was targeted towards African-American women. (Janisse, Bailey, Ager, Sokol, 2014). This study was performed to get a closer look on how using drugs and drinking alcohol can affect the development of a baby. The three main results they were trying to find when completing the study were gestational period, fetal development and birth weight.

It is recognized that children of mothers who consume high levels of alcohol during pregnancy are at risk of developing disorders, the most common, the fetal alcohol syndrome. The effects of low to moderate alcohol are uncertain, however, they may have similar negative outcomes and cause cognitive deficits and conduct problems, particularly in early childhood. It is imperative to know the possible consequences and the extent of the consequences, especially because some women consume it often before becoming aware they are pregnant.

One major substance abuse is the consumption of alcohol. Children have this condition that is called an Alcohol Fetal syndrome, which is caused by alcohol exposure during the mother’s pregnancy. This syndrome cause issues such as brain damage, growth problems, and physical defects. Researchers from the National Institute for Alcohol and Drug Association have conducted a study which took place over the time period of five years they also use previous research to help back up their own conclusion. “Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) and Fetal Alcohol Effects (FAE) has increased during the last 20 years...Reduced birth weight has been observed among children born to women who consumed amounts of alcohol down to 1.2 cl (10 g) absolute alcohol (AA) per day during pregnancy” (Ihlen, Amundsen, Tronnes 389). Even though that investigation was conducted back in 1993, it still helps show how alcohol has been a problem for women and their child and it continues to be an issue today. Recent studies state that “alcohol use in pregnancy is a major public health problem...alcohol is used by

Studies show individuals that suffer from Fetal Alcohol Syndrome have shown significantly less activation in brain development than others who were not exposed to alcohol in utero. The relationship between brain structure and cognitive functioning were found to be altered as a result of FAS. Other factors include the influence within the mother. Of these factors, included is the socioeconomic status of the mother. Studies show that women of a higher socioeconomic status were more likely to drink during pregnancy. (Gauthier e-1) Addiction within the mother is also an influence. Studies show that women who struggle with an addiction are more likely to put off pregnancy until the problem is resolved, but there are still some who end up in situations such as having a child with a severe deficit caused by FAS. Mothers who have been diagnosed with FAS as an infant or child are more likely to cease drinking while pregnant because they are aware of the debilitating outcomes that occur as a result of alcohol exposure in utero (Gauthier e-1). These outcomes are just a fraction of what occurs when the fetus is exposed to alcohol in

Pregnancy is a wonderful event, for it is the beginning of the formation of a new generation. When a woman becomes pregnancy, her world changes as she is not only responsible for her life, but also the life or lives developing inside her. During pregnancy, a woman becomes vulnerable since whatever she might decide to do affects her unborn child. For example, a little bit of stress may produce an effect to pregnant woman physical and mental wellbeing. With this in mind, a pregnant woman is restricted to do things that can develop harm for both her and the child. One of the most dangerous thing to do during pregnancy is to engage in alcohol consumption. Intake of alcohol during pregnancy may lead to a permanent impairment to child’s life known as the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.

Choices and changes in lifestyle of women before and during the period of pregnancy, have a major impact on the health of both a woman and her upcoming child. Health professionals mostly advised women before and during pregnancy for modifications in lifestyle with positive way. A healthy lifestyle required and essential for unborn infant health as well important for an expectant mother. Sometimes these changes and choices of alcohol consumption and smoking before and during pregnancy considered as a big issue for both mother and her child. (Dunney, C & et al, 2015). Women who have habits of heavy drinking in prenatal phase are at increased risk for problems in child, like physical, behavioral, mental. This is not only related

Pregnancy is one of the most important stages in a human being life. This is the time we are most vulnerable and susceptible to the harsh world. Our mothers bodies protect us and what they do can be the difference between life and death for a fetus. There are many things that we are told during pregnancy to help lower the risks to the unborn child. Sometimes we are told myths that we think are true but can actually cause serious physical and mental developmental problems. One of the major myths that many women are told not even by friends and family but even by doctors is the consumption of alcohol during pregnancy.