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General information on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) When a pregnant mother drinks alcohol, so to does the baby.
Alcohol consumed by a pregnant woman, moves into her blood stream and is carried
to all her organs and tissues passing freely through the thin placental
membrane, that separates the maternal and fetal blood systems, delivering the
alcohol directly to the developing tissues of the fetus. This alcohol is
devastating for the baby’s brain development and growth. The effects of alcohol can damage the fetus throughout
pregnancy and are not isolated to a particular trimester. The severity of the
disorder depends on the dose, timing and conditions of alcohol exposure. There is NO KNOWN safe amount of alcohol pregnant women can
drink without raising the risk of damaging their unborn babies. All pregnant
mothers who drink alcohol are at risk of producing a baby with Fetal Alcohol
Spectrum Disorder (FASD). Heavy
drinking or binge drinking, defined as at least five standard drinks on any
occasion, more than twice a month, or an average of about two standard drinks
per day during pregnancy, is associated with a mother having a baby with FASD. Of
all the substances of abuse, including heroin, cocaine and marijuana, alcohol
produces the most serious neurobehavioral damage on a fetus. Fetal
Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is an umbrella term, which includes all
possible disorders associated with prenatal alcohol exposure. Fetal Alcohol
Syndrome (FAS) is the most severe and the leading cause of preventable mental retardation. The following features are required for making a clinical
diagnosis by a trained clinician: ·
Small
head size
·
General
growth deficiency (height & weight) ·
Long,
smooth, upper lip ·
Small
openings In
addition, babies/children with FASD can have some or all of the following:
·
Intellectual
Disability ·
Heart and
other organ anomalies ·
Low birth
weight ·
Hearing
problems ·
Attention
deficits and learning difficulties in school with:
o
Numeracy
o
Reading
& Writing o
Problem Solving o
Poor Memory o
Difficulty
with complex or abstract thinking
·
Neurological/Behavioural
problems such as: o
Hyperactivity o
Eating/Sleeping problems o
Learning problems o
Repetitive stereotypic behaviour
·
Emotional
and mental health problems: o
Anxiety o
Low self esteem
·
Psycho-social
maladjustments, leading to: o
Impulsive behaviour o Fearless behaviour
Contact InformationTelephone: +27 (0) 21 686 2645 /6/7 Fax: +27 (0) 21 685-7034 Postal address 37 Thornhill Road, Rondebosch, 7700, South Africa
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