What Is Fetal Alcohol Syndrome?
Fetal alcohol syndrome, or fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), is a syndrome caused by the mother’s heavy alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Typical symptoms of the syndrome include developmental disorders of the head area, internal organs and bones, and retardation of growth and intellectual development.
The negative effects of heavy alcohol consumption have been extensively studied. It is now known that in addition to the depressant effects of alcohol on the central nervous system during intoxication, it can impair memory and health in many ways in long-term use. When used extensively, alcohol affects nervous system function, increases the risk of liver disease and inflammation, affects the absorption of vitamins, affects mood and sleep quality, and can cause pancreatitis or irritable bowel syndrome.
Alcohol use during pregnancy poses many risks. The fetus is exposed to all the drugs used by the mother, but the drug that causes the most harm is alcohol. Experts have not been able to figure out how much alcohol is causing problems for the fetus. Because a safety margin for alcohol use during pregnancy cannot be set, a complete refusal to drink alcohol is the only safe option while waiting.
The dangers of alcohol during pregnancy
Excessive alcohol consumption during pregnancy poses many risks, the most important of which are:
- Increased risk of miscarriage
- Increased risk of preterm birth
- Increased risk of fetal low weight and growth retardation
- Increased risk of malformations
- Risk of syndromes due to fetal alcohol exposure
Fetal alcohol syndrome
Fetal alcohol syndrome, or fetal alcohol syndrome, is one of the syndromes caused by fetal alcohol exposure, which is a serious and permanent impairment of the fetal central nervous system and, in some cases, other organs caused by the mother’s alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Alcohol exposure during pregnancy is one of the leading causes of mental retardation in the West.
Fetal alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) are divided into four different diagnoses:
- Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)
- Partial fetal alcohol syndrome (PFAS)
- Alcohol-related central nervous system damage or ARND (alcohol related neurobehavioral disorder)
- Alcohol related birth defect (ARBD)
In particular, alcohol exposure during pregnancy causes permanent central nervous system dysfunction, the severity of which depends on the time and amount of alcohol exposure, peak concentrations and duration of exposure. Central nervous system disorders range from mild learning difficulties to developmental disabilities. Typical symptoms of fetal alcohol syndrome include developmental disorders of the head area, bones, and internal organs.
Identification and treatment of fetal alcohol syndrome
As with so many other health issues, the best treatment for fetal alcohol syndrome is prevention. This syndrome is completely preventable, but still about 600-650 children are exposed to alcohol in Finland every year during the fetal period. It is estimated that at least 3-5% of pregnant women use alcohol above the risk limit.
Based on this figure, it is estimated that 3,600–6,000 fetuses are at risk of drug-related harm each year. In a large proportion of children, the damage does not show up, but the effects of alcohol manifest themselves as learning and attention disorders, for example. As a result, a large proportion of children affected by maternal alcohol use are left undiagnosed.
Expectant mothers are told about the effects of drugs on pregnancy and fetal health. If a woman reports that she uses alcohol regularly a few times a week, she will be referred to a maternity clinic where the situation and progress of the pregnancy will be monitored throughout the pregnancy.
