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Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) develops in a child due to consumption of alcohol by mother during pregnancy. Taking alcohol during pregnancy is harmful for both the mother and the child. When a pregnant woman takes alcohol, it passes to the placenta to the fetus and causes extra risk to its life.
For the proper and healthy development of baby, the pregnant woman should avoid alcohol. Larger amount of alcohol increases the problems. Heavy alcohol consumption can lead to several birth defects associated with fetal alcohol syndrome. Especially, during the first three months of pregnancy alcohol consumption is the most harmful.
Fetal alcohol syndrome or FAS occurs in a child due to prenatal alcohol exposure. The defects associated with this syndrome include severe mental, physical, and behavioral problems in the babies. On suspecting the defect, the child should be taken to doctor for diagnosis which helps in reducing the risk of problems later in life.
Fetal alcohol syndrome gives rise to a cluster of related problems. The severity of the symptoms varies from person to person. Some of the signs and symptoms associated with fetal alcohol syndrome or FAS includes:
- Slow physical growth before and after birth
- Extreme nervousness and anxiety
- Vision difficulties or hearing problems
- Mental retardation and delayed development
- Heart defects
- Small head circumference and brain size
- Deformities of joints, limbs and fingers
- Abnormal behavior like short attention span, hyperactivity, poor impulse control, tremors in a newborn, agitation and crying.
The distinctive facial features like small eyes, very thin upper lip, a smooth skin surface between the nose and upper lip, a short, upturned nose, develop due to this syndrome.
When a pregnant woman drinks alcohol, it reaches the developing fetus through bloodstream by crossing the placenta. The presence of alcohol hampers the development of tissues and organs in the body. It also damages the brain cells.
At any time during pregnancy, alcohol can affect the brain of the fetus. For fetal alcohol syndrome, there is no cure and the mental deficiencies and physical defects exit in the persons for a long time.
In case of patients suffering heart abnormalities, surgery is required. To avoid the risk of FAS, the pregnant women should avoid drinking any amount of alcohol.
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If she is addicted, she should take help from alcohol-abuse rehabilitation center.
To know more on Congenital Diseases in Babies browse through the pages of Pregnancyxl.com
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