WORDS FOR WEDNESDAY - FAS/FAE

"Alcohol or drug consumption during pregnancy -- any amount -- could be a sentence of lifetime disability for an unborn child."

What is FAS?

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is a medically diagnosable condition describing a set of birth defects seen in children whose mothers consumed alcohol or drugs during pregnancy. Fetal Alcohol Effects (FAE): is a term used to describe the presence of some, but not all, FAS characteristics when prenatal exposure to alcohol or drugs has been confirmed (also used occasionally when use is uncertain). Fetal Alcohol Syndrome/Fetal Alcohol Effects (FAS/FAE) is one of the major known preventable birth defects among Canadian children.

Introduction to FAS

Prenatal exposure to alcohol or drugs is one of the leading causes of preventable birth defects and developmental delay in children in Canada and one of the top three known causes of mental retardation, along with Spina Bifida and Downs Syndrome. It is a life-long condition. A child with FAS becomes an adult with FAS. There is no cure for this syndrome; the damage is irreversible. The fetus is most vulnerable to various types of injuries depending on the stage of development in which the substance is encountered. A safe amount of consumption during pregnancy has not been determined, and all major authorities agree that women should not consume alcohol or drugs at all during pregnancy. Unfortunately, women sometimes wait until a pregnancy is confirmed before they stop. By then, the embryo/fetus has gone through several weeks of critical development, a period during which exposure can be very damaging. Therefore, the Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse urges women who are pregnant or anticipating a pregnancy to abstain.

FACTS

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is a pattern of mental and physical defects that develops in some unborn babies when the mother consumes alcohol or drugs during pregnancy. A baby born with FAS may be seriously handicapped and require a lifetime of special care. Some babies with substance abuse-related birth defects, including smaller body size, lower birth weight, and other impairments, do not have all of the classic FAS symptoms. These symptoms are sometimes referred to as Fetal Alcohol Effects (FAE). Researchers do not all agree on the precise distinctions between FAS and FAE cases. Alcohol or drugs in a pregnant woman's bloodstream circulates to the fetus by crossing the placenta. There, the substance interferes with the ability of the fetus to receive sufficient oxygen and nourishment for normal cell development in the brain and other body organs.

Prenatal Exposure can Cause: · Intellectual deficits and learning disabilities;· Hyperactivity;· Attention and/or memory deficits;· Inability to manage anger;· Difficulties with problem solving;· Prenatal and postnatal growth deficiencies.

Potential Secondary Conditions Include: · Early school drop out;· Alcohol and drug abuse problems;· Problems securing and maintaining employment;· Homelessness;· Trouble with the law;· Mental health problems.

Protective Factors Include:· Abstinence· Early identification and diagnosis;· Direct involvement with special services;· Supportive environments.

How Much is too Much?

In a recent survey done for Health Canada to measure the knowledge of the effects of alcohol and drug use during pregnancy, 60 per cent of the survey respondents (male and female) said cutting down on or stopping using would be one of the most important things that pregnant women might do to increase the likelihood that their baby will be born healthy. Many women also said they would be most receptive to support and encouragement from their spouses to stop or cut back. As researchers have not been able to determine a safe level of consumption during pregnancy, there's only one safe course if you are pregnant or wish to become pregnant: don't consume alcohol or drugs.

Even moderate consumption during pregnancy can have serious, long-term adverse effects on the fetus and child. Some studies have shown that children born to mothers who drink or use drugs only occasionally are at increased risk for learning disabilities and other cognitive and behavioral problems. What do alcohol and drugs do to the fetus? When a pregnant woman consumes alcohol or drugs, it rapidly crosses the barrier of the placenta into the fetus. The brain and central nervous system of the unborn child can be damaged by prenatal exposure, at any time during pregnancy.

DON'T ASK MY CHILD TO FLY
Bruce Ritchie 1997

Don't ask my child to fly,

for he has not wings.

Don't ask my child to see the glint on the eagle's beak,

for his vision has been diminished.

Don't ask my child to remain calm amid the din,

for her ability to screen out the noises has been taken away.

Don't ask my child to be careful with "strangers",

for he is affectionate with everyone and prey for the unscrupulous.

Don't ask my child to "settle down",

for the clock which works for you and I, does not exist for her.

Don't ask my child to not play with the toys of others,

for he has no concept of property.

Don't ask my child to remember you tomorrow,

although you met today.

Don't ask my child to heal your wounds,

for her hands cannot hold a scalpel or sutures.

Don't ask my child to meet the challenges set by society,

for you have denied her the tools.

Don't ask my child to forgive you for standing idly by,

while he was being tortured in his mother's womb,

for he will,

but He may not.