Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is a condition associated with mental and physical defects that arise during the period the baby is inside the mother’s womb due to excessive alcohol intake. Once the babies are born and positively diagnosed with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) they are likely to become handicapped. The less severe effects of excessive alcohol intake include low birth weights and small body sizes.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is caused by the presence of alcohol in the pregnant woman’s bloodstream that circulates directly to the fetus and passes through the placenta. This will cause difficulty for the baby to get enough oxygen and sustenance to support cell development in major body organs, especially to the brain.

One indication of being a Fetal Alcohol Syndrome victim is the occurrence of growth deficiencies that manifest when certain babies grow slower than the normal growth progress of healthy babies. Other positive indications of having Fetal Alcohol Syndrome include skeletal abnormalities such as a small head, bent spine, deformed ribs and sternum, hip disorders, webbed or incomplete fingers or toes and restricted movement of joints.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome may also cause severe abnormalities in the facial development of babies such as the inability of the eyes to move in the same direction, having small eye openings, skin webbing between eyes and base of nose, sagging eyelids and nearsightedness. Other facial deformities associated with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome are small upturned noses, hollow nasal bridges, absence of the groove between the nose and upper lip, thin upper lips, an opening in the roof of the mouth, small jaws and poorly formed ears.

The most severe effect of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is organ irregularities like heart defects and incorrect genital positions including urinary and kidney defects. The central nervous system can also be impaired.

To prevent the unsightly and miserable effects of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, all pregnant women must avoid drinking an excessive amount of alcohol during the length of their pregnancy. Indulging in a healthy lifestyle while trying to conceive and especially while pregnant is absolutely beneficial to the unborn baby. Remember that having healthy eating habits and a healthy lifestyle will yield a healthy baby.