CITIZENS RALLYING FOR CHANGE ON ALCOHOL

Alcohol (wine, beer, or liquor) is the leading known preventable cause of mental and physical birth defects in the United States.

When a woman drinks alcohol during pregnancy, she risks giving birth to a child who will pay the price — in mental and physical deficiencies — for his or her entire life.

Yet many pregnant women do drink alcohol. It's estimated that each year in the United States, 1 in every 750 infants is born with a pattern of physical, developmental, and functional problems referred to as fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), while another 40,000 are born with fetal alcohol effects (FAE).

GIVE YOUR CHILD THE BEST CHANCE TO SUCCEED....DON'T DRINK ALCOHOL, USE OTHER DRUGS OR SMOKE DURING YOUR PREGNANCY.

Signs and Symptoms

If you adopted a child or consumed alcohol during pregnancy and are concerned that your child may have FAS, watch for characteristics of the syndrome, which include:

1. low birth weight
2. small head circumference
3. failure to thrive
4. developmental delay
5. organ dysfunction
6. facial abnormalities, including smaller eye openings, flattened cheekbones, and indistinct philtrum (an underdeveloped groove between the nose and the upper lip)
7. epilepsy
8. poor coordination/fine motor skills
9. poor socialization skills, such as difficulty building and maintaining friendships and relating to groups
10. lack of imagination or curiosity
11. learning difficulties, including poor memory, inability to understand concepts such as time and money, poor language comprehension, poor problem-solving skills
12. behavioral problems, including hyperactivity, inability to concentrate, social withdrawal, stubbornness, impulsiveness, and anxiety

How Much Alcohol Is Too Much?

It's clear that abusing alcohol during pregnancy is dangerous, but what about the occasional drink? How much alcohol constitutes too much during pregnancy?

No evidence exists that can determine exactly how much alcohol ingestion will produce birth defects. Individual women process alcohol differently

Although FAS is easily recognizable, FAE (Fetal Alcohol Effects) and ARND (Alcohol-Related Neuro-development Disorder) can occur with occasional use of alcohol.  Often, in kids with FAE or ARND,  the behavior can appear as mere belligerence or stubbornness.  They may score well on intelligence tests, but their behavioral deficits often interfere with their ability to succeed.  Extensive education and training for the parents, health care professionals, and teachers who care for these kids are essential.

Prevention Is the Key

FAS, FAE and ARND can be completely prevented by not drinking any alcohol during pregnancy.

FAS SUPPORT GROUPS IN WISCONSIN

• Madison, National Family Empowerment Network; contact Moira Chamberlain (800) 462-5254.
•  Superior, Family Empowerment Network North; contact Richard Walker, EdD. (715) 394-6909, or Judith Walker, PhD, RN (715) 395-1494.