FAS+Effects+During+and+After+Pregnancy

According to Aiken, Jacob and Petrikovsky (2011), there are many hazardous activities that a woman can take part in during their pregnancies, but one of the most dangerous and damaging things that a woman can do is consume alcohol. Furthermore, it has been proven that women who are alcoholics give birth to more than 10 percent of the babies born in the United States alone. Moreover, the leading cause of mental retardation, and the most preventable, is the consumption of alcoholic beverages throughout pregnancy. On top of causing mental retardation, consuming alcohol is associated with higher rates of miscarriage and birth complications. One in every 750 births are babies who are born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, also known as FAS and studies have shown that even the smallest consumption of alcohol, one standard drink each day, can cause a baby to be born with a low birth weight (Aiken, Jacob, & Petrikovsky, 2001).
 * __[[image:Fetal_Alcohol_Syndrome4.jpg align="right" caption="(Encyclopedia Health of Diseases and Disorders, 2011)" link="@http://encyclopediaofhealth.blogspot.com/2011/01/fetal-alcohol-syndrome.html"]] Dangers of Drinking Alcohol Throughout Pregnancy __ **

**__Primary Disabilities__** Drinking alcohol throughout pregnancy can cause damage to the developmental process of the fetus (Sayal, 2011). FAS has a variety of effects on the fetus ranging from mild to severe in nature and some of these effects include mental retardation, learning disabilities, emotional and behavioural problems, heart defects, characteristic facial appearance and short stature (Sayal, 2011). These FAS effects are commonly referred to as //primary disabilities//(FASD National Strategic Projects Fund, 2005).

**__Secondary Effects__** Unfortunately, the effects of FAS are far greater that those stated above, within the //primary disabilities// section. An expert in the field of FAS, Dr. Ann Streissguth, has discovered that the //primary disabilities// that occur as a result of mothers drinking throughout pregnancy also have several other effects on the child as they grow and develop. People who are victims of FAS are not born with these //secondary effects// - which may also be referred to as //secondary disabilities -//; these effects may or may not develop as the person ages. On top of this, there is a far greater risk for the development of //secondary effects//if the child is not subjected to an early diagnosis. The most important factor in treating children with FAS is early diagnosis. This is because doctors are able to give parents specified routines that create consistency in the children's lives at a young age. Victim's of FAS who are not diagnosed at an early age, will not have proper treatment and generally these people become extremely stressed about not living up to the standards and expectations of society. These feelings of difference and stress have been identified, by the //Public Health Agency of Canada//, as the leading factors that contribute to the onset of the //secondary effects// of FAS (FASD National Strategic Projects Fund, 2005).

According to the FASD National Strategic Projects Fund (2005) the eight secondary effects are as follows:
 * 1) Mental Health Pro [[image:drink_up.jpg width="205" height="250" align="right" caption="(Gracen Glamour, 2011)" link="@http://www.gracenglamour.com/prenatal-alcoholism-hazards/"]] blems
 * 2) Trouble in school
 * 3) Trouble with the law
 * 4) Confinement (incarceration, or inpatient treatment for mental health problems or drug or alcohol abuse)
 * 5) Inappropriate sexual behaviour
 * 6) Substance abuse
 * 7) Difficulty living on their own
 * 8) Unemployment or difficulty keeping a job

Studies have shown that it is possible to reduce the risk of //secondary effects.// Children who have supportive parents are less likely to development these eight effects; and as a result these children are more likely to be successful and independent, compared to those children whose parents do not work with them (FASD National Strategic Projects Fund, 2005).