For many years the questions has been raised as to why not all children are affected by Foetal Alcohol Syndrome even if the mother was drinking alcohol during her pregnancy. The theory that genetics plays a role in whether a child will have FAS first came about through studying twins. In a sample size 16 sets of twins, which were all exposed to alcohol while in the uterus, out of the 5 sets of identical twins, in each set both children were affected by FAS. Out of the 11 sets of fraternal twins, 4 sets had the same out come as the identical twins, while in the other 7 sets only one child per set was affect by FAS. Through this research it can therefore be understood that it was the difference in DNA of the fraternal twins that lead to only …show more content…
Another area of study is that if the mother has both or one of the alleles ADH1B*2 and ADH1B*3 her child is protected from FAS. ADH1B*2 and ADH1B*3 are polymorphisms of ADH1B which comes from the alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), which is a catalyzing enzyme involved with the oxidation of ethanol. These alleles code for enzymes that cause oxidation of ethanol to occur at a much faster rate than usual. By having a faster oxidation rate alcohol will be metabolized and detoxified sooner. The alcohol consumed goes into your blood stream and is spread through the body, which could have a teratogenic effect on the foetus, until the alcohol has been completely metabolized. Therefore the faster the alcohol can be metabolized the less chance there is of it getting to the placenta and therefore into the foetus’ bloodstream. Due to the fact that the alcohol won’t be able to get to the foetus because it oxidised much quicker, the foetus is protected from the effects of the alcohol which lead to FAS.
The most recent discovery to provide evidence that genetics is a contributing factor to the development of FAS is the discovery of the exact locus that controls the alcohol sensitivity of the L1 protein. L1 is an essential part of the neural development of foetuses. It is located on the outside of cells and is important to the joining of cells as well as axon control and movement of cells. Phosphorylation, controlled by the enzyme ERK2, occurred inside the L1
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
During the elections, Queen Emma faced much criticism in the islands for her gender, background, and character. In a letter written by Curtis Jere Lyons, he says on the native bulletin, the words “We do not wish to see the petticoat putting on breeches (or inside of the breeches)” were written above the Queen’s proclamation . By referring to clothes and dress, these words were attacking Queen Emma’s gender. Whoever wrote it did not want to see a woman as ruling monarch. In addition, an article published in The Chicago Tribune in 1874 speaking about the elections states, “The popularity… is purely personal, as she has no hereditary rank and little force of character”. Claiming that Queen Emma’s popularity in the elections was “purely personal” erases
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
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is a combination of physical and mental birth defects. When a pregnant woman drinks alcohol she is making her child drink also. However, alcohol itself may not be directly responsible for all (or any) of the features of FAS. What may be responsible are
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is a general term consist disabilities when a mother consumes alcohol during her pregnancy. The medical prognosis of FASD includes: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), Partial Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (PFAS), Alcohol Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder (ARND) and Alcohol Related Birth Defects (ARBD). Moreover, teratogen is a harmful agent that can interrupt the development of an embryo. For instance, alcohol is teratogen. As per Health Canada, FASD is a leading cause of a completely avertable developmental disability but it still affects approximately one percent of the Canadian population (Batshaw, Roizen & Lotrecchiano, 2012). However, there are many alterations to the disabilities and the development of sub-groups. Thereby, the term FASD is introduced to ensure the incidence of all the characteristics (mental, behavioral and physical) associated with prenatal exposure to alcohol. The exposure to alcohol during the pregnancy places the infant at the risk of developing problems such as abnormal appearance, low body weight, poor coordination, low intelligence, facial abnormalities, neuropsychological deficits, central nervous system deficits and growth delays (Riley, Infante & Warren, 2011). As the paper progress, we will discuss the characteristics, causes and the epidemiology of FASD. In addition we will all focus on the mental disorder such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) associated with FASD and a
Some studies suggest that women who only consume one alcoholic beverage per day increase their risk of FAS. Every time that a woman drinks, the alcohol travels from her bloodstream to the placenta. The baby gets his or her nourishment through the placenta. A baby's body breaks down alcohol at a slower rate than an adult's. The best way to prevent FAS is not consume any alcohol while you are pregnant.
“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.
pregnancy. FAS is unique in that effects on the children are directly linked to maternal drinking
Some of birth defects and development disabilities are caused by parental exposure to alcohol. Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is a group of terms that can provide the concept of the effects that may occur in a newborn baby whose mother was drinking alcohol during her pregnancy such as mental, physical, behavioral, and cognitive effects. FASD was first described in 1973 in the United State of America by Jones and Smith, it was defined at that time as a ‘tragic disorder’. For every 1,000 live births in certain areas of the United States there is about 0.2 to 1.5 infants with FASD. Although FASD is incurable disorder, understanding the nature of the disease, avoiding triggers, and getting an
Gun violence in the United States has been a growing anomaly. Everyday 309 people die from guns in America, and this number is growing. These tragedies can be a result of suicide, murder, gang related, racially motivated, accidents etc. In the past, many policy makers in Washington have attempted to create a law to decrease the number of gun related deaths, however, many of these attempts have become unsuccessful. The second amendment, the right to bear arms, is a right given to the citizens of the United States by our founding fathers. This rudimentary right is something that many citizens in this country hold dear and will not see taken away. Because of the struggle to find a common ground between acceptable guns and unnecessary guns is so hard, this has sparked a national
FAS or fetal alcohol syndrome is a severe form of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), and the effects of this condition are usually permanent. There are a wide range of symptoms and these are just a few: a small head, smooth ridge between the upper lip and nose, small and wide-set eyes, very thin upper lip, or other abnormal facial features and below average height and weight. (The Healthline Editorial Team). 2015. Another factor that may affect the fetus and the baby in future development is stress. When you’re stressed, your body goes into "fight or flight" mode, sending out a burst of cortisol and other stress hormones. These are the same hormones that surge when you are in danger. They prepare you to run by sending a blast of fuel to your muscles and making your heart pump faster. (Watson, S). 2013. Some studies show that chronic stress may lead to low birth weight, and this is when you alter your bodies stress management system. And based on what I have read I do feel that lower stress levels outweigh the minor risks of controlled alcohol consumption. This is due to the fact that there have been no studies that directley link moderate alcohol consumption to birth defects. FAS has been linked to mothers who abused alcohol during
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”
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
It can not be explained why one fetus with exposure to alcohol during pregnancy can be born with no disabilities while another with similar exposure can be born with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)
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