Essay On Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Intro/Description

A significant health issue that exists within the current Native American population is Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Also known as FAS, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention found that rates within various Native American communities were recorded to be 1.5-2.5 per 1000 children born were suffering from this disease. These statistics are significantly higher than the average 0.2-1.0 per 1000 births of the rest of the U.S. population (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2007). Alcohol use by American Indian women has reached such a level of prevalence that they are the only ethnic group in which chronic liver disease is one of the ten leading causes of death (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2007). The goal of this essay is to evaluate specific factors that influence alcohol use and abuse by expecting mothers along with the effects of fetal alcohol syndrome on the children who suffer from it.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is:

Multiple studies have found that FAS is the single most common cause of mental retardation that is completely preventable. When alcohol is consumed during pregnancy it acts as a teratogen, which means it is a substance that interferes with growth and development, and is capable of causing birth defects such as hearing loss, vision loss, reduced cognitive ability, and motor skill deficiencies. Flattened mid-face, short nose and a thinner upper lip are also common physical abnormalities (Tangient LLC, 2014). When consumed, alcohol from the mother’s bloodstream crosses easily into the fetal bloodstream. Because of their size, the unborn baby has a lower capability to metabolize the alcohol, thus it remains in its system for a longer period of time and can result in...

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... lack of knowledge of the causes and effects of FAS is discernable from a young age and visibly continues into adulthood. Increased rates of violence place pregnant women at risk for turning to alcohol during pregnancy as a coping mechanism for anxiety. In addition, economic hardships, social expectations, and cultural standards can feed cycles of alcohol use. American Indian women who abuse alcohol are at risk for directly causing fetal damage and possibly delivering a child born with fetal alcohol syndrome. The development of information set to target younger generations of Native Americans is a starting point focused on diminishing the prevalence of alcohol abuse. These efforts are a beacon of hope for not only Native American women who suffer from alcohol abuse but the unborn children who won’t have to spend their lives living with fetal alcohol syndrome.