Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is the negative effect of alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Prenatal liquor drinking boosts the chance of accidental abortion, decreases birth safety, and can generate a range of physical and mental impairments. It is one of the most common causes of mental retardation among children. The video represents how alcohol leads to defective brain growth and other negative outcomes (Rosary Films, 2018). Parents should be mindful and know about the damaging consequences of consuming alcohol during pregnancy. The majority of fetal alcohol range illnesses are witnessed in children’s institutions; foster and substitute families (Rosary Films, 2018). The diagnosis is often missed due to the lack of vivid features. It leads to a delay in the appropriate intervention and assistance. The sooner the assistance program begins, the better results can be achieved.
Children with FAS may have certain facial features: a smaller palpebral fissure, a thin upper lip, and the absence of a nasolabial fold. The child has a diminutive stature and a more undersized than the standard head. There is no effective, clinically tested, and approved treatment created to cure the damage caused by early ethanol exposure. The central strategy remains to warn prospective parents about the possible consequences through various educational programs and activities. It is not known when alcohol is most harmful to the fetus during pregnancy and whether there is a safe lower limit for alcohol consumption. Alcohol easily passes through the placental barrier and enters the body of the unborn child, who is not physiologically ready for its processing. Therefore, the concentration of alcohol in the baby’s body can be higher and linger longer than in the mother’s body (Wozniak et al. 764). So pregnant women should avoid any doses of alcohol within the whole length of pregnancy.
Supportive care for children with the syndrome should include appropriate stimulation and a caring environment. The most important thing is good nutrition and a calm, psychologically healthy environment in the house. Children with fetal alcohol syndrome may also need help in the learning process. They often have problems with counting, solving logical problems, and organizing almost all areas of life. Problems caused by FAS worsen as a person ages and can develop into mental illness, law violations, and an inability to live independently (Jonsson 162). At the moment, the syndrome is not well comprehended, and the healthcare system does not pay expected attention to the problem. The state should invest and direct more funds and scholarly forces to stop the unawareness and support these children.
Works Cited
Jonsson, Egon. “Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD): A Policy Perspective.” The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, vol. 64, no. 3, 2019, pp. 161–163, doi:10.1177/0706743718773706.
Wozniak, Jeffrey R et al. “Clinical presentation, diagnosis, and management of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.” The Lancet. Neurology vol. 18,8 (2019): 760-770. doi:10.1016/S1474-4422(19)30150-4
Rosary Films. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome — The Biological Basis / Fas Fasd Video, YouTube, 2008.