Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis And Prevention

Running head: FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME 1

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis and Prevention

Dulce Abreu

Jorgi Poli

FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME 2

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis and Prevention

Alcohol consumption among pregnant women often is a concern for health experts.

Besides having undesirable consequences for women, the unintended effects of alcohol can also

get passed to unborn babies thereby exposing them to plenty of health issues. One health

problem which is common among babies born to pregnant alcohol drinking mothers is fetal

alcohol syndrome. It is linked to many disorders such as intellectual impairment, and congenital

disabilities which may involve a baby having deformities on the face. Fetal alcohol syndrome is

caused only by one element – the undesirable lifestyle of alcohol drinking among pregnant

women. Fetal alcohol syndrome is linked to alcohol preference lifestyle and can be avoided by

having a health policy which entirely prohibits pregnant women from having any interaction

with alcoholic content.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Causes

Fetal alcohol syndrome happens if a pregnant mother has the habit of excessive alcohol

consumption. Though the majority of consumed alcohol content remains in the mother’s

bloodstream, some of it is passed through the placenta to the fetus. The problem is that a fetus’

physiology has less tolerance to alcohol content if compared to that of an adult (Larcher, 2014).

Therefore, continuous and excessive alcohol consumption on the part of the mother increases the

chances of fetal alcohol syndrome. As a fetus’ physiology absorbs alcohol content via the ones

passed through the placenta, vital nutrients and oxygen fail to reach fetus’ vital organs in the

intended satisfactory manner (Burd, 2012). As a result, pregnant mothers who are heavy alcohol

drinkers and their unborn babies suffer physiological and neurological disorders which are a

result of the ingredients present in the alcoholic drinks having roles which are considered

FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME 3

unhealthy for a fetus’ growth. The chances of a fetal alcohol syndrome increases at any moment

a pregnant mother consumes alcohol regardless of the stage a pregnancy may be.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Prevention

The best way to avoid fetal alcohol syndrome affecting children is by emphasizing the

importance of avoiding alcohol consumption during any pregnancy stage. That applies even to

women who might consider themselves “light drinkers” because consumed alcoholic content, no

matter how small its quantity is, has a high chance of being passed to a fetus’ bloodstream

(Jonsson, 2014). Women who drink alcohol but are planning on carrying pregnancy should

consult health experts on how they should reasonably avoid carrying the danger of fetal alcohol

syndrome to their unborn babies. That may include exercising how to cease any alcohol

addiction before conceiving. For people who are seriously into alcohol use, therapy could be

necessary. Fetal alcohol syndrome is primarily caused by alcohol consumption among pregnant

mothers. Therefore, the best way of preventing it would involve avoiding alcohol use when a

mother is at any stage of pregnancy.

Symptoms of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

The severity of fetal alcohol syndrome varies and often depends on the level of

concentration of alcohol content in a fetus’ bloodstream. The effects of the syndrome usually

include physiological and some forms of intellectual impairments. For babies suspected to be

born with the fetal alcohol syndrome, the commonly relied upon symptoms often include

physiological disorders such as small heads, kidney issues, heart problems, height and weight

which are below the normal range, and deformed fingers or limbs (Hughes, 2016). Alcohol, just

as it alters the neurological capability of adults, also influences the intellectual development of

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fetuses whose bloodstream have absorbed its traces through drinking pregnant mothers. Fetal

alcohol syndrome can lead to neurological impairments characterized by poor mental

coordination, inability to focus, poor judgment, problems with sight or hearing, mood swings,

learning disabilities, reduced language acquisition skills, and hyperactivity (Clarke, 2013). The

mentioned symptoms often manifest themselves on different levels of severity, and that depends

on the how frequent a mother may have been drinking when pregnant.

Diagnosing Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and taking Necessary Steps

Fetal alcohol syndrome if left medically unattended to can lead to a baby growing while

faced with plenty of chances associated with the syndrome. Therefore, early diagnoses are

preferred, and if confirmed that a baby could be having the syndrome, available treatment

options should apply immediately. Diagnoses could be done by checking the syndrome’s

symptoms and evaluating whether or not they may be present in a baby. Because many mothers

may not have the right medical expertise to affirm the syndrome’s presence, medics’

involvement is often the best diagnosis approach (Murawski, 2015). Doctors performing medical

checkups could help in identifying symptoms such as heart and kidney problems, facial

deformities, and heads which may be smaller than what is typically expected. It is vital to note

that fetal alcohol syndrome does not have any specific treatment approach. Instead, its treatment

strategy may involve applying therapeutic procedures aimed at alleviating some of the observed

symptoms it is linked to. Medications can be given to the affected babies to help relieve

neurological disorder symptoms (Popova, 2013). For instance, antidepressants could be

recommended for treating anxiety while stimulants can be provided to assist in improving focus.

Treating fetal alcohol syndrome can also involve taking affected children to special needs

schools where their unique neurological disorders can be well taken care of. Behavioral training

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may also be necessary to deal with fetal alcohol syndrome symptoms such as hyperactivity,

problems with hearing and seeing, and learning difficulties (Parley, 2012). Parents should also be

made aware of the behavioral disorders fetal alcohol syndrome has on children. That can enable

them to provide the right upbringing environment which could allow for affected babies to have

the proper upbringing which does not compound their disorders. Counseling sessions may also

be necessary to enable affected children overcome the emotional issues such as anxiety which is

associated with fetal alcohol syndrome (Brooke, 2014). The treatment approaches of considering

medications, counseling, and behavioral method should be done simultaneously to enhance

chances of the symptoms targeted being efficiently alleviated. Each treatment approach also is

good at eliminating specific symptoms hence the collective use of the methods could lead to

many symptoms getting suppressed.

Conclusion

Fetal alcohol syndrome is caused by consumption of alcohol by women who may be at

any stage of pregnancy. Some of the alcohol content consumed passes from the mother’s

bloodstream to that of the fetus and causes physiological and neurological development

impairment. The severity of fetal alcohol syndrome depends on the quantity and duration a

pregnant mother drinks alcohol. The symptoms of fetal alcohol syndrome can fall into two

categories. The first is physiological symptoms which are characterized by facial deformities,

babies having small heads, kidney and heart problems. The neurological disorders associated

with fetal alcohol syndrome include intellectual impairment, slow learning outcomes among

babies, poor concentration, mood swings, and language acquisition skills which fall what can be

anticipated usually. Fetal alcohol syndrome is diagnosed by observing whether or not some of

the symptom associated with it appear on a baby. However, the best diagnosis approach is by

FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME 6

having medical consultations since it is doctors who can accurately tell the existence of the

syndrome. Treating fetal alcohol syndrome may involve the use of medications to suppress

neurological disorders such as anxiety, mood swings, or hyperactivity. Behavioral training may

also be necessary for affected children to enable them to overcome the inappropriate behavioral

responses associated with neurological disorders brought by the syndrome. The best way to

prevent fetal alcohol syndrome therefore is by prohibiting alcohol consumption by pregnant

women.

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References

Blaire Parley, M. O. (2012). Behavioral Interventions for Children and Adolescents With Fetal

Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. Alcohol Research and Health, 34(1), 64-75.

Egon Jonsson, A. S. (2014). The international charter on prevention of fetal alcohol spectrum

disorder. The Lancet Global Health, 2(3), 135-137.

L Burd, J. B. (2012). Prenatal alcohol exposure, blood alcohol concentrations and alcohol

elimination rates for the mother, fetus and newborn. Journal of Perinatology, 60(1), 652-

659.

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Last Name, F. M. (Year). Book Title. City Name: Publisher Name.

Margaret Clarke, B. G. (2013). Overview of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders for Mental Health

Professionals. The Canadian Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Review, 12(3), 57-63.

Nathan Hughes, B. C. (2016). A systematic review of the prevalence of foetal alcohol syndrome

disorders among young people in the criminal justice system. Congent Psychology, 3(1),

25-34.

Nathen Murawski, E. M. (2015). Advances in Diagnosis and Treatment of Fetal Alcohol

Spectrum Disorders. Alcohol Research, 37(1), 97-108.

Sweltana Popova, S. L. (2013). Cost of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Diagnosis in Canada.

PLoS ONE, 8(4), 83-87.

Vic Larcher, J. B. (2014). Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder

(FASD)—diagnosis and moral policing; an ethical dilemma for paediatricians. Archives

of Disease in Childhood, 4(3), 33-38.

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Vincent Brooke, K. C. (2014). Animal-Assisted Therapy for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.

Journal of Applied Rehabilitation Counseling, 45(3), 463-473.

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