fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD)

alcoholism in pregnant women / fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD)

Around a year back there were articles about how Alaska was funding a programme for using wall dispensers for  distributing free pregnancy tests in places like taverns where people go to consume alcoholic drinks and also a public awareness program about the dangers of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) . This was being done at a time when there was a huge problem with a shortfall in the Alaskan budget. That was because results of testing in Alaska was still showing  a higher than average rate of people suffering from problems with  fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD).

 This was in spite of a huge reduction ( of around  thirty to fifty percent ) in fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) incidences in Alaska  because of increased public awareness programmes for the last 25 or so years where stores selling liquor were asked to put up information on the dangers of prenatal exposure to alcohol and other public service announcements on TV about the dangers of prenatal exposure to alcohol, door to door campaigns for spreading of infromation on the dangers of prenatal exposure to alcohol . Screening and counselling / sharing information of dangers of prenatal exposure to alcohol with expecting women ( who might be alcoholic) and hopefully their partners  during the initial period of pregnancy was found to be useful in reducing  the alcohol consumption in at least a small group of the women. Talks on the dangers of FASD were given in high schools. Efforts were made to test children in order to  screen those with FAS. Alaska also had a large portion of federal funds for this program.

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) is a term used for a group of conditions that may occur to a baby / foetus due to its exposure ( prenatal exposure ) to alcohol in its mother's womb due to the mother consuming high levels of alcohol during her pregnancy (or even before the woman realizes that she is pregnant ) and usually if the mother is a habitual alcoholic , mainly because the liven in the foetus cannot  handle / eliminate the alcohol completely like that in the adult mother's body. This is because part of the alcohol the mother consumes during pregnancy will also enter the blood stream of the baby / foetus in her womb from the mothers blood stream, and might affect the cells of the growing child . These might lead to changes and damage in the cells of the brain ( changes in the structure of the brain ) and central nervous system including the  spinal cord . Some of the common symptoms of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) are problems with speech and co ordination, problems with low IQ, cognitive defects/ disabilities, problems with memory / damage to the brain , prombems of the liver, smaller body size / smaller head size and  lower body weight at birth, thin upper lip , smaller width of the eye ,some facial deformities / malformation . This is just a spectrum of some of the possible effects of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), so the severity and presence of the various symptoms will vary from person to person affected by fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) .

It is very difficult to correlate the time and quantity of alcohol consumption by the mother during the different times of the period of pregnancy with the type and quantity of problems that the baby in the womb might face ( there is no definite window of risk ). But it is generally felt that excess alcohol consumption during the end of the first trimester of pregnancy is likely to cause the worst problems for the foetus in the womb. In the first trimester excess alcoholism might lead to facial / physical deformities cognitive problems for the baby ( especially in the second half of the first trimester ), while in the second  trimester alcoholism may affect the neurons and the brain cells and in the third semester alcoholism may damage the portions of the brain related to memory  and also reduce the fetal growth . So it is better for pregnant mothers and those women who are trying to concieve ( ttc ) to abstain from alcohol consumption during the whole period of pregnancy or even in the period where the woman is trying to conceive ( ttc ) ( trying to become pregnant ).

The main problem with FAS is the high likelihood of the defects to be permanent.People affected by Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) are likely to face a lot of physical, learning difficulties, behavioural problems with other people , difficulties in finding jobs  throughout their life. Early diagnosis is useful to help children affected by fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) to help them cope with studies in school and could help them live a happier life.

Only some of the diagnostic teams in Alaska funded by the federal funds did a lot of stellar screening work. But the diagnostic effects are slowing down with the slow reduction in federal funds. There is also a lack of help for individuals with FAS even after they receive the diagnosis of FAS usually because of the high cost associated with such services. The training process for the service providers to help those persons diagnosed with FAS is very intensive and there is a urgent need for dedicated people.


(  testing for pregnancy     )

( chemical pregnancy )

( trying to concieve ttc ) (  stress-of-ttc-or-stress-of-trying-to conceive )

( first trimester of pregnancy } ( anxiety in pregnant women ) ( some first trimester problems of pregnant women)


( second trimester of pregnancy ) ( second trimester problems / symptoms for pregnant women )



( third trimester of pregnancy )

( labour and child birth )

( tips on male fertility )

(  bipolar disorder medicines during pregnancy )

( changes-in-women-after-childbirth )

( ttc after 30 )

( some information about knives )



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