Effects of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

The medical fraternity does not recommend alcoholism during pregnancy. The amount and the frequency of alcohol ingestion breaks through the placental barrier. This has an adverse effect on the unborn and can stunt fetal growth. The intoxicant also affects the weight of the embryo, resulting in facial stigmata.

Alcohol consumption by a pregnant woman damage the neurons of the unborn and triggers a number of mental, physical and even behavioral problems that surface as the child grows. Alcohol permanently damages the central nervous system. The delicate and developing fetal brain cells get malformed when the pregnant mother risks alcohol exposure.

FAS is known to trigger a number of basic functional and cognitive disabilities like lack of concentration, impulsive behavior, and poor reasoning. Children who have been exposed to alcohol prenatally also display secondary disabilities such as early inclination towards drug addiction. The pregnant mother exposes the embryo to brain damage each trimester.

The fetal brain develops all through the pregnancy. Mental retardation and developmental disabilities such as Down Syndrome are linked to the fetus' exposure to alcohol. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is clinically associated with craniofacial and cardiovascular deformities. The fetus is exposed to prenatal onset growth deficiency that not only takes a toll on childbirth, but also delays development of the embryo's limbs and reactions to stimulants, post-natal.

Fetal alcohol syndrome has been identified as a trigger factor for the development of Aarskog syndrome, Williams syndrome, Brachman-De Lange syndrome and even Fetal Hydantoin and Valproate syndromes. Children exposed to prenatal consumption of alcohol record below average weight and height. Parental height and gestational infant age also fall way below the required percentile.

Craniofacial abnormalities are the result of brain damage. A flattened philtrum, thinner vermilion and smaller eye width are all signs of prenatal alcohol exposure. Central nervous system abnormalities result on account of the teratogen exposure. This increases the risk of genetic predisposition, in the mother and child. Structural and neurological impairments damage the psycho-social life of the child.

Structural impairments that set in due to FAS include a smaller head size and cerebellar hypoplasia. The microcephaly or smaller head circumference is observed via imaging techniques as early as the fifth month. Alcohol does serious damage to the brain cell organization and migration. The hippocampus of the fetus, which enables memory, emotion and learning, is impaired on prenatal alcohol consumption.

Alcohol is a trigger for neurological damage too. The central autonomic nervous system damage manifests in the form of epilepsy, impaired motor skills and clumsy gait and hand-eye coordination. Children exposed to the risk of Fetal alcohol syndrome also display:

• Complex behavior abnormalities
• Poor academic achievement
• Impaired impulse control
• Slower if not absent social perception
• Poor communication skill
• Heart murmur and ventricular septal defect
• Abnormal palmar creases
• Severe light sensitivity
• Poor abstract skills
• Information-processing disorder

Prenatal malformation manifesting from FAS is demonstrated by hyperactive behavior and a very unfocused response to sense-stimulants. The eponymous syndromes demand an evaluation that is multi-disciplinary. The assessment helps determine the psychological, linguistic and growth deficiencies, but it does not in any way usher in hope for immediate revival.

The inherited health problems on account of prenatal alcohol exposure destroys the social life of the child. The onslaught of depression and necessary psychiatric care becomes stigmatic for both, biological mother and child. The fact that there is no clinical remedy for FAS, makes the situation all the more challenging. Comprehensive and multi-faceted interventions need to be analyzed and sorted to ameliorate the mental and physical shortcomings.