The Effects Of Alcohol Abuse During Pregnancy

“If women didn’t drink anymore during pregnancy, there would never be another baby born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome or Fetal Alcohol Effect” (McCuen 33). This is a very powerful statement. It is also a very simple cure for an alarmingly high birth defect that all women have the power to stop. “Every year more than 40,000 American children are born with defects because their mother drank alcohol while pregnant “ (McCuen 34). That is 1 to 3 per 1,000 live births (McCuen 31). Many of these cases go undiagnosed “It is also the number one cause of mental retardation in the United States, and one of the three leading causes of birth defects.” (McCuen 33-34). “Alcohol produces more significant

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

National surveys show that about six out of every ten women of child-bearing age 18-44 years old use alcohol, and slightly less than one-third of women who drink alcohol in this age group binge drink. Excessive exposure to alcohol during pregnancy can inflict serious, permanent physical and mental damage on her child like Fetal Alcohol Spectrum disorders (FASDS), Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), miscarriage, and premature birth. Although men are more likely to drink alcohol, and drink in larger amounts, gender differences in body structure and chemistry cause women to absorb more alcohol, and take longer to break it down and remove it from their bodies. Upon drinking equal amounts, women have higher alcohol levels in their blood than men, and

The fetus is not the only one harmed by alcohol consumption during pregnancy, but the mother is as well. In fact, many doctors urge women who think they are pregnant or are trying to get pregnant to stop drinking (“Fetal Alcohol”). “One percent of all mothers consume fourteen or more drinks per week during the three months before pregnancy” (Walsh 3). To the average person one percent is not too large of a proportion. However, the volume of alcohol consumed is high during

The rising drug and alcohol problem proves to be an issue both locally and nationally, with a lasting detrimental impact on the individual and society as a whole. A health disparity report from Healthiest Wisconsin 2020 reports, “In 2011, Wisconsin ranked first in the nation for both heavy drinking and binge drinking among adults” (Wisconsin Department of Health Services, slide 14). Drug and alcohol abuse are a concern to this population due to the detrimental impacts to both the individual and the surrounding individuals. For instance, alcohol abuse can lead to cirrhosis of the liver, alcohol dependence, and cause anomalies to the fetus if the mother drinks excessively during her pregnancy. Overall, those who choose to abuse drugs and alcohol

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.

The effects of excessive alcohol consumption has been proven to have had negative and persistent effects on babies, born from mothers who have consumed alcohol throughout their pregnancy, evidence linking that low to moderate amounts have put the fetus at risk for delays and have lifelong complications. (Nathanson, & O'Brien, 2000)

Ideally, the best prevention for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, and Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is prevention, however women who are consuming alcohol during pregnancy may be less inclined to seek prenatal care, making it difficult to help them reduce and stop their alcohol consumption, which would prevent the occurrence of FASD and FAS. Since this is the case, FASD and FAS must be treated, rather than prevented. Like most therapeutic interventions, individuals with FASD and FAS are best treated early in life, therefore most interventions are aimed at treating children and adolescents. According to O’Connor and Paley (2009), there is extensive research that has documented significant cognitive, behavioral, adaptive, social, and emotional dysfunctions in people

Effective intervention is an essential step to reduce Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. An intervention that seems to reduce not only, alcohol exposed during pregnancy but also the use of ineffective birth control (for those women drinking and not planning to get pregnant) is the project CHOICE (Floyd, et al., 2007). The program consists motivational interviewing counseling sessions and information. To test the effectiveness of the program of the counseling sessions a randomized controlled trial was created. Those in control received only received information about alcohol-exposed pregnancies while the intervention group received the information plus counseling sessions. Results showed that brief motivational counseling sessions decreased the risk of AEP in high-risk women. These women changed their target behavior of drinking and ineffective contraception use. A similar adaption of project CHOICE was conducted and showed that 74 percent of the intervention women and 54 percent of the control women were no longer at risk for AEP (Ingersoll et al., 2005). However, although the use of educational awareness and counseling seem to be an effective solution to reduce Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. We should consider using peers during the contact part of the intervention to have higher long term outcomes. Having a person with lived

In the article, “Is Drinking Alcohol While Pregnant an Unnecessary Risk to Prenatal Development,” Phyllida Brown believes that drinking is bad for pregnant women and can put the baby at risk for Fetus Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) (76). She supports her claim by providing follow-ups on children whose mother consumed alcohol during pregnancy. The children whose mother consumed alcohol, tend to be more aggressive and had a hard time focusing compared to children whose mother didn’t consume alcohol. Some physical traits that children with FAS have are thin lips and tend to be smaller than the average kid (Brown 76). Brown also supports her argument by using a counterargument about how some women claims that it is okay to drink wine or alcohol every once

In the article “Fetal Alcohol Syndrome- A Birth Defect Recognized Worldwide,” by Kerstin Stromland used strong clinical evidence supported by various studies to bring attention to the fact that alcohol consumed during pregnancy severely damages the neurological and physiological development of the child.

It is quite revealing that the consequences of prenatal alcohol exposure do not end with the pregnancy. The long term effects are even more devastating. Many who are affected by the syndrome go on to become abusers like their parents and remain poor income earners. If they do establish families of their own, there is no stability because of their social and emotional immaturity. To stop this vicious cycle from continuing, every healthcare worker should pledge to intervene in any manner possible, and at every opportunity that presents itself. A failing system should be everybody’s business.

In a recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study, 10.2% of pregnant women stated that they drank alcohol in various amounts during the last month, and 3.1% stated that they binge drank. Women who are in a committed relationship, including marriage, are at a higher risk for an alcohol-exposed pregnancy since they tend to be less likely to use contraception. Also, women who smoke are at a higher risk because they are more likely to consume alcohol if they smoke. In a current study, 3.3 million women between the ages of 15 and 44 stated that they had drank alcohol in the last month and had sexual intercourse without using protection. All 3.3 million women are at risk for an alcohol-exposed pregnancy. Since about half of pregnancies in the U.S. are unplanned, the best time to talk to women about the consequences of their alcohol consumption to them and their baby is before they are pregnant. To help prevent a child from becoming permanently damaged, healthcare providers should talk to women about available contraception methods to prevent an unplanned pregnancy, and all of the possible defects they can cause a child due to an alcohol-exposed pregnancy (Green, McKnight, Lela, Tan, Mejia, & Denny.

Even a small amount of alcohol has the potential to hurt the child. The unborn child of a person who occasionally drinks is at risk of receiving fetal alcohol effects. This condition causes children to receive some of the same of the same effects that come from fetal alcohol syndrome. A child may not receive any of these conditions due to a mother’s alcohol consumption, but there are still some potential effects. Evidence shows that when a pregnant mother consumes an average of two alcoholic beverages per day, her child may have a lower amount of intelligence and is also at risk for having mental retardation. Also, there is research that suggests that even low quantities of alcohol consumed during pregnancy can have contrary effects on the child’s behavioral and psychological functions, and can cause a child to exhibit behaviors such as hyperactivity, unusual nervousness or anxiety, and poor impulse control. Alcohol consumption during pregnancy can also cause children to have less accuracy in their spatial and visual reasoning later in their lives. Due to these results, Sarah should be advised to not drink alcohol while she is

Drink during pregnancy is one of the major causes of birth defect. Use of alcohol is one of the major public health issues and much focus has been placed on educating women about alcohol consumption during pregnancy and the deleterious effects it can have on a child development. It is estimated that nearly 20 percent of women drink during pregnancy which has a significant impact of children cognitive ability. Data show that drinking effects specific cognitive and behavioral pattern some of which include: verbal learning, visual-spatial learning, attention, reaction time and executive function. Despite the current evidence alcohol consumption continues to be a serious issues (Russell, Czarneck & Cowan, 1991).