Long term affects of fas
Long term affects of fasResearch Paper
After seeing a man like that I considered myself very lucky. Physically you could call him a man, but mentally he was a young boy. I don't remember his name, but we'll call him Joe. Joe's mother drank while he was in utero. As a result he suffered from fetal alcohol syndrome. Too many women don't realize the developmental effects of using drugs and alcohol during pregnancy. As a result of this many cases of fetal alcohol syndrome go unnoticed and thus untreated.
Though we don't hear about this problem often enough it is very prevalent in our society. Nearly one in 500 births results in a child being born to Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, otherwise known as FAS. One in thirty births are born with Fetal Alcohol Effects. Those diagnosed with FAS have prenatal and postnatal birth deficits, central nervous system dysfunction, specific facial characteristics, and body malformation problems. Children who display only some of these effects are claimed to have FAE, or fetal alcohol effects. The sad thing is that most infants and children who suffer from fetal alcohol effects go unnoticed. They are looked upon as having behavioral problems. Because of this lack of recognition the treatment of their problems are mishandled which creates a very difficult and confusing childhood for these children. (McCreight, 1997).
Even when fetal alcohol effects are recognized there is limited treatment. There are hardly any programs in schools and society to help the children maintain normalcy. It was not until 1973 that the deficit was first acknowledged and given a name. Nearly thirty years later we are still having problems diagnosing and treating this incurable syndrome. The most obvious characteristics of those with FAS are facial deficits which include a short upturned nose, a small head, a broad and flattened face, a large space between the eyes, ears laid lower on the head, a long and thin upper lip and eyes with short slits. When a child with FAS has these characteristics the syndrome is easily recognized. Those FAE sufferers who are not recognized usually suffer from behavioral and cognitive learning problems.
Most sufferers of FAE are diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder, or ADD. This is a common problem for children with FAS/E. According to one expert, (Dr. Russell Barkley) this condition can be...
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