Q&A: Let's Talk Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

When our mothers were having babies it was nothing to drink while pregnant. They just like their mothers before them did not realize the health risks associated with drinking while pregnant. We now know what alcohol can do to an unborn baby when it is exposed to alcohol in the womb. We know about Fetal Alcohol Syndrome now and have heard various things on the topic. I have researched around on the Center For Disease Control's website and have put what I have learned about Fetal Alcohol Syndrome into a Q & A to help bring the facts about Fetal Alcohol Syndrome out into the light.

Q: What is Fetal Alcohol Syndrome?

A: FAS is among one of the leading known preventable causes of mental retardation and birth defects in infants. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is the severe outcome of effects that happen when a pregnant woman drinks alcohol.

Q: What are some of the characteristics of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome?

A: Infants with FAS can have characteristics ranging all the way through abnormal facial features, growth deficiency, and problems with the central nervous system. They can also have problems with memory, attention span, learning disabilities, vision, hearing and a broad range of other health and development problems.

Q: Can Fetal Alcohol Syndrome be cured?

A: No. FAS is completely permanent. There is no treatment that will cure a person with FAS. There are treatments that can be used to try and help a person with FAS to live a productive life. Your pediatrician will know best how to deal with your child's special needs.

Q: Can I prevent my child from having Fetal Alcohol Syndrome?

A: Yes. A woman can prevent FAS by not drinking at all during pregnancy.

Q: My sister-in-law drank hard liquor all the time during her pregnancy and her baby was normal. I only drank a glass of wine occasionally during my pregnancy and the doctors say that my baby has Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Why is that?

A: There is no known safe amount of alcohol during pregnancy. A small amount at any point during pregnancy can put your baby at risk. Doctors and Researchers do not know why one baby is unaffected by the mother's heavy drinking while another baby is effected from very minimal exposure to alcohol. That is why it is stressed so much that a pregnant woman should not drink at all during pregnancy because there is no way of know how one baby to the next will be effected. It is just not worth the risk.

Q: I have Fetal Alcohol Syndrome due to my mother drinking during her pregnancy with me. Is my baby at risk of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome now because I have it?

A: No. If you do not drink then your baby is not at risk. You can not genetically pass FAS to your child.

Q: My husband was drunk the night we conceived our baby. Is my baby at risk of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome because of the alcohol levels in the sperm?

A: No. FAS is caused by the mother's drinking during pregnancy. There are currently studies though to see what effect alcohol has on a man's sperm and what effects are seen in babies born under these conditions.

Q: What are the economical effects of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome?

A: FAS has a huge economical effect on society. One report showed that in 2002 the lifetime cost for just one person with FAS was $2 million. The 10^th Special Report to Congress showed that in 1998 the annual cost of FAS was $2.8 billion.

Q: What should I do if I suspect that my child has Fetal Alcohol Syndrome?

A: You should contact the National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. They have a directory on national and state services listed on their website. www.nofas.org