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The Center for Disease Control (CDC) is awarding grants to organizations that run programs for people with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. St. Louis University has received one such grant, and they intend to provide help to older children and adults that have been diagnosed with this disorder.
The Cause of FASD
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is caused by a woman drinking alcohol during pregnancy, and it affects many people in our country today. When a pregnant woman drinks alcohol, the alcohol passes from the mother’s blood to the developing baby through the placenta. The alcohol in an unborn baby’s blood can do irreversible damage. Some of these babies are stillborn and some end up with physical abnormalities such as low body weight, a small head, or underdeveloped facial features. Many children end up having poor memory and coordination, speech delays, learning disabilities, and vision problems, among other things. These problems make the child’s early years of life very difficult, but the problems don’t go away as they get older. Many adults still suffer from these difficulties, only there are not as many programs to help adults with FASD. The St. Louis University grant will be working to provide programs for adults with FASD, because it is a disorder that lasts a lifetime.
FASD is the leading cause of developmental disabilities in children born in the United States. Those with the most severe disabilities are those with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), which affects 1 or 2 out of 1000 babies born. In essence, the baby with FAS has a brain that has not fully developed, leaving the child with serious developmental disabilities.
A Preventable Condition
This condition, though devastating, can be prevented completely if a pregnant woman doesn’t drink. For women that only drink occasionally, the fear of a baby with FASD should motivate them to cut out drinking if they are trying to get pregnant or if they could be pregnant already. Most women don’t find out they are expecting a child until weeks into the pregnancy, and unless these women modify their lifestyle, their baby could be affected before they even know it.
For women that struggle with alcoholism, it is extremely important that they take all precautions necessary to not become pregnant until they are able to stay sober. The effects on the unborn baby of a mother’s alcohol addiction are devastating, and will cause a lifetime of pain for their child.
It is important for women to be educated about the dangers of drinking during pregnancy. Those that aren’t able to stop drinking should seek help from a physician or a treatment facility. Support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous will be beneficial in maintaining sobriety.
Sources
Many with FASD suffer for years before being diagnosed
Smoking in pregnancy link to drugs
