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Fas And Its Effects On Society

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is a pattern of mental and physical defects

which develops in some unborn babies when the mother drinks too much alcohol

during pregnancy. FAS is the leading known cause of mental retardation,

surpassing both Spina Bifida and Down's Syndrome. However, not all children

with FAS have mental retardation. A recent study of sixty-one adolescents and

adults with FAS revealed IQ scores ranging from 20 to 105, with an average of

68. Fifty-eight percent of these individuals had an IQ score of 70 or below.

Since we know what FAS is, let's view some interesting statistics on this

terrible disease.

It may seem unbelievable, but at least one out of every five pregnant

women use alcohol and/or drugs. Consequently, the latest estimate for babies

born with FAS in the United States is a rate of 19.5 per 10,000 live births,

although they can run as high as 30 per 10,000. This equals about 12,000

babies a year. Alcohol produces far more serious neurobehavioral effects in the

fetus than other drugs including heroin, cocaine, and marijuana.

FAS affects people in many ways. There are growth deficiencies,

serious organ deformities, and facial abnormalities associated with this disease.

However, the most devastating symptoms of them all are the central nervous

system handicaps. These will be the ones that are focused on because they are

the ones that have the biggest effect on society. They include: learning

disabilities, small brain, hyperactivity in childhood, irritability in infancy, short

attention span, faulty arrangement of brain cells and connective tissue, poor

body, hand, and finger coordination, and mental retardation--usually mild to

moderate but occasionally severe.