Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

I'd like to write a post about Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, or FAS. I have a younger brother who suffers from this condition and he will never become healthy, or grow out of his illness.

The syndrome is caused by alcohol consumption during pregnancy. The syndrome can develop with little alcohol intake, and is equally likely to develop in all children regardless of their mothers race, social status, or sexual orientation. It's an equal opportunity illness.

The syndrome is caused when alcohol the mother consumes enters the fetus, causing irreversable harm to its central nervous system, brain, and other developmental processes. The fetus is not equipped to handle the alcohol and when it comes into contact with the substance the development of the child is changed forever.

The brain is where the most damage takes place. Its structure deteriorates and the way it operates is corrupted beyond repair. This will cause extreme developmental delays and hardships for the child as it matures into a young adult, hardships that will most likely exist for the remainder of its life.

Here is a picture of the brains of two six week old children. The child on the left is healthy, the child on the right suffers from FAS.


Typical behavior of someone who suffers with FAS is the inability to comprehend cause and effect. This results in dishonest actions - lying, stealing, rude behavior, lack of sympathy and responsibility for ones own actions, and more. Many children who suffer with FAS will mature into young adults who are uncontrollable, which may lead to them living the remainder of their lives in an institution. Many FAS adults become criminals, unable to understand the concepts of punishment and remorse. They will spend the rest of their adult lives in and out of prison costing the state millions of dollars. A large number of FAS adults are abandoned as children and will live their lives in extreme poverty and homelessness. Most people who suffer from FAS will need to be taken care of for their entire lives, although many will never receive it.

Fortunately, children who have been diagnosed with FAS in early childhood can go on to live healthy lives. Children who are born into nurturing families can learn to cope with their disability and develop into wonderful human beings. FAS children can be very creative and loving if they are allowed to grow up in a positive environment. FAS children are often very gifted with music, art, computers, woodworking, and other skilled vocations.

When dealing with someone who has FAS you have to remind yourself that ultimately they are the one who is suffering. This doesn't excuse their actions, but it helps put you into a perspective that is healthy for dealing with someone who is chronically ill.

Living with someone who suffers from FAS is an endless challenge, but at the same time it gives you the opportunity to become a greater human being. The challenges you face give you a clear outlook on life and teaches you that responsibility is never a choice, but rather a requirement for a healthy life.

If you learn anything from this post, let it be an understanding of the risks alcohol consumption presents, and the results of alcohol abuse. Not only will it destroy your life, it will hurt the lives of everyone you love.

 

My mother drink at least a case of beer every night with my younger brother (35yrs this month). He's very lucky that he had no Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, he's very smart and finish high school with high grades. Sorry to hear about your younger brother..my prayers will be with him.

 

A young woman came to my house the other day (kinda having a party, more of a get together)... She was 3 months pregnant and had the nerve to ask me for a beer. I was about an inch away from throwing her out of my house.

 

Ohhh thats a strange fact i have learned today.

Thanks for the info .. actually one of my friend is into this and would be strictly talk to him now.

Thanks for the info

 

Thanks for the information, never knew that, sorry about your brother

 

It's too bad they don't know how much alcohol it takes, some cultures say it's ok to have a little alcohol while carrying, while others say none at all.

 

Whatever it is, alcohol is bad for your health. Sorry for your brother's condition.

 

Beer is good

 

Congratulations, you've just found your way onto my ignore list.

 

I have been around a few kids with FAS with varying degrees of severity. One guy I knew around my age was the oldest one and was similar to someone who is inbred. (I actually thought that was the problem in the beginning.) Some of the kids in the foster system are FAS and again have varying degrees of issues related to it.

 

Luckily my brother's condition is not severe, he still struggles though. Although he can be very smart when he chooses to!

 

How flippin' insensitive are you? Asswipe.

It was an interesting post. I appreciate you taking the time to share that with all of us!

 

Thanks for making that post, checksum.

I think one of the problems is that a lot of women don't realise they are pregnant until way past the first trimester, and it's in the early stages that the foetus is most vulnerable. I once knew a woman who went to hospital with backache, and came out with a 6oz baby. I'm not making that up.

 

That's a shame. It just goes to show why birth control is important, and I say that with men in mind too.

 

Actually, i want to retract that statement. It has been very long time so my memory gets confuse at time. My mother didn't start drinking a case of beer until my brother was born(mostly a year after he was born). I sure she drink while pregnancy but not that much. I know she drink and party when she was prego with me Cu's i was born premature. They say they had to put me in a shoe box in order to protect me.

 

You better can drink one night very much than drink every day a few beers.
Long term drinking causes alot damage. One night isn't that bad...

 

lucky for you this is GC, other wise you'd get 74 reds by this time tomorrow

and yeah, I'll probably get a warning/infraction for the pic but jeez man, how callous can you be??

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thanks for the post checksum, prayers for your family

 

Well, the woman in question didn't think it was a shame, as far as I know she was delighted. But it did mean she went through her entire pregnancy without medical oversight, so she didn't know she should be taking extra care of herself and not drinking or smoking.

I only really bring this up because there's always going to be a period when a woman doesn't realise she is expecting, and it's always going to be early on when the foetus is most vulnerable. But in the west, the UK especially, there's this culture where it's seen as cool for young women to be laddish and go out and get wrecked once a week or more, and smoke. It's not healthy.

 

Your right about there being a time... often a few weeks if not more... before a woman really knows she's pregnant. Especially if she isn't really expecting it. I was certainly glad that I don't drink or smoke when I found out I was pregnant. It wasn't a planned pregnancy (though we were happy) so there were things I would have done differently before getting pregnant if I'd planned it, such as taking folate tablets, having a much healthier diet etc. But at least I didn't have to worry about alcohol, as I've never drunk it.

I've known women who still drank and smoked during pregnancy, and certainly their kids have had problems such as being born prematurely, developmental and learning difficulties, which are quite likely at least partly due to the alcohol and cigarettes. Some were "trying" to give up, others just didn't seem to even consider it necessary.

It also really annoys me when I see mothers (or fathers) holding or bending over a baby or child, smoking away, the smoke being blown right onto the poor little thing! Those parents have obviously destroyed their brains beyond having any common sense!

 

Good subject...we need more like this. I live right next to a Native American Indian reservation and work with addicts and alcoholics daily.

On this rez they have mutiple generation FAS babies. In other words FAS victims drinking and having babies. Bad alcohol problems for these Apaches.

Alcohol is one of the worlds worst drugs.