Fetal alcohol syndrome is a condition whereby a child is born with a range of physical and mental deformities as a result of alcohol consumption by the mother during pregnancy. Such deformities are permanent, and the affected children will have to live with them for the rest of their lives. Over the last few decades, the number of infants born with this disease has been steadily rising. Of late this situation has captured the attention of medical practitioners worldwide as the rates are now alarming. For this reason, the medical community is more aware of the conditions and is making more efforts to curb it. This paper, therefore, aims to highlight the history of the disease, how it became discovered and the progress that research has made over the years. It also discusses the prevalence of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome its effects on children, families and the society. Finally, this essay examines the interventions and current policies in place to help curb the disease, including the research improvements and breakthroughs.
History and prevalence of fetal alcoholic syndrome
The term Fetal alcohol syndrome first appeared in 1973. Its appearance occurred in an article posted in the British Medical Journal, The Lancet. A consortium of psychiatrists and pediatricians at the University of Washington medical school identified and named the condition. They studied developmental delays and morphological defects that seemed to affect mostly infants born to alcoholic mothers. Included in the observations, were pre and post-natal growth deficiencies, minute facial abnormalities, and impairment to the developing brain.
Furthermore, they noticed that these conditions could result in learning, behavioral and cognitive abnormalities. Teratogens responsible for birth defects the likes rubella and thalidomide had earlier on got identified before that period. However, the larger medical community did not place alcohol under consideration as a danger to embryonic development before 1973 after the publication of this particular article.
Doctors and researchers do not know exactly how many individuals have fetal alcoholic spectrum disorders (FASDs). Several different methodologies have gotten employed to estimate how many people suffer from the condition in the population. FASDs include some diagnoses related to fetal exposure to alcohol during pregnancy. To be specific, Fetal alcohol syndrome is the most used diagnosis. Typically, it gets used when several physical and developmental impairments are present. Placing a basis on community studies using physical examinations, researchers and experts project that the entire range of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorders some Western European and countries and the United States might reach as high as 2-5 per 100 school-going children or roughly 2% to 5% of the entire population.
A fact sheet released by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on 2nd February 2016 showed that 1 in 20 U.S school children suffer from Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. As a percentage, 2-5% of all U.S children have the condition. However, the report did not give information and the prevalence regarding race, ethnicity or state. Therefore, not much information is known regarding the actual incidence rate. What scientists are mostly relying on are estimates from selected field studies and reports (Bertrand, Floyd & Weber, 2005).
Another fact that arose from research findings is that alcohol-related disabilities get widely undiagnosed and misdiagnosed. There are very many diseases that appear to have the same symptoms. Furthermore, these conditions tend to have more common occurrences compared to alcohol-related birth defects. For this reason, doctors can either mistake Fetal alcohol disease with another illness. Or still, they might fail to detect the disease altogether. All these scenarios show that clinical statistics do not give a clear picture of the prevalence rate. However, one fact that all researchers and medical practitioners seem to agree upon is that prevalence rates are increasing.
Effects
Fetal alcohol syndrome has adverse effects, in particular on the child. Children born with this condition have a lot of physical and mental impairment. The common problems include poor motor skills, facial abnormalities, organ dysfunction and developmental delay. When it comes to socialization, they have poor social skills, and they experience difficulties in learning including poor memory. Moreover, they lack imagination and curiosity. Another issue is that they experience behavioral problems such as hyperactivity, poor concentration and social withdrawal, including stubbornness (Streissguth & O’malley, 2000).
Policies to address the condition
Researchers, doctors, and other stakeholders have come together to address this issue as a whole. The most common method they recommend is the prevention of the condition. The fetal alcoholic syndrome is a highly preventable disease. The Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences proposed an intervention program. It undertook this activity through a committee set up to study Fetal alcohol syndrome. This particular committee came up with three major prevention strategies (Stratton et.al, 1996).
Universal prevention of maternal alcohol abuse- Such approaches try to educate the general public about the dangers of drinking during pregnancy. The target group for this program are expectant women and those of childbearing age. A good example of this strategy is the alcohol warning label.
Selective prevention of maternal alcohol abuse- this method targets women with a greater risk of having children with FAS or any other alcohol-related effects. An example is whereby all pregnant women get screened for their use of alcohol.
Indicated prevention of FAS- These measures also get directed at high-risk women, including those who once abused alcohol during pregnancies. Also included, are women who consume alcohol and have given birth to infants with FAS, ARBD or ARND. It includes alcoholic treatment for expectant women or those likely to conceive.
Local communities also form support groups for families affected by the condition. Parent-to-parent programs help new parents who experience the situation for the first time. These programs assist families cope with the situation and educate them on how to provide proper healthcare to the children. The National Organization on fetal alcoholic syndrome (NOFAS) advances policies and state, federal and local legislation to prevent FASD. They also assist families and individuals living with the condition. Extensive research is also ongoing on better methods of dealing with the illness
Conclusion
Indeed, FAS has an unfavorable effect on people, family, and society. All those affected need extensive support and care both from community and state. But most importantly, pregnant women need sensitization to take charge of their health and avoid alcohol during pregnancy.
References
Bertrand, J., Floyd, L. L., & Weber, M. K. (2005). Guidelines for identifying and referring persons with fetal alcohol syndrome. MMWR. Recommendations and reports: Morbidity and mortality weekly report. Recommendations and reports/Centers for Disease Control, 54(RR-11), 1-14.
Jones, K., & Smith, D. (1973). Recognition of the fetal alcohol syndrome in early infancy. The Lancet, 302(7836), 999-1001.
Stratton, K.; Howe, C.; and Battaglia, F., eds. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: Diagnosis, Prevention, and Treatment. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1996.
Streissguth, A.P., and O'Malley, K. Neuropsychiatric implications and long-term consequences of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. Seminars in Neuropsychiatry 5:177–190, 2000.
