Feature Article- Final

Take a look at the two brains in the figure above. The one on the left obviously looks very healthy compared to the one on the right. Now think about all the things that could cause this size difference. These are two brains from children 6 weeks old. The brain on the left is a healthy brain and the one on the right is an underdeveloped brain from a child suffering from Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. This is a preventable birth defect. Would you risk the chance of causing this harm to a child?

Ania, a baby girl, born in 2008 in Poland was born drunk. She was over the legal blood alcohol level for adults. Her blood alcohol level was .29. The legal limit here in the United States is .08. In perspective Ania’s blood alcohol level was equivalent to an adult drinking about 2 1/3 bottles of wine. That is ridiculous. Ania came into the world drunk and then had to be weaned off of alcohol. She then suffered through many physical and mental problems because of the FAS she was born with. It was not Ania’s fault that she contracted FAS but her parents.

This needs to change. People need to be more aware of the consequences of their actions. No child deserves to have the odds stacked against them purely because their parents were too naïve to think that their actions wouldn’t carry consequences for their unborn child. Is it worth it? No.

Once Fetal Alcohol Syndrome has taken affect the damage is irreversible. The child will go through life with physical and mental handicaps as shown in Figure 2. This can easily be avoided. No child must face this life. If every mother didn’t drink this would not happen. Some people think that one or two drinks a week is okay when you are pregnant. This may be true for some people, but would you want to risk the chance of hurting your unborn child? Some people don’t care, but an unborn child is the future generation. If you were adult enough to get pregnant you can be adult enough to keep yourself healthy to ensure the health of the child in your womb.

Physical Characteristics of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome include but are not limited to, a small head, thin upper lip, underdeveloped jaw, and a flat cheek area. To look at these characteristics refer to figure 3.

Figure 3

If a woman is to drink alcohol in excess in the first weeks of pregnancy she will be affecting the development of the child’s brain, heart, arms, eyes, and legs. Throughout the entire pregnancy the brain is being developed. At anytime during the pregnancy if the woman is to drink she could cause mental retardation to her child. We need to educate mothers fully when they are pregnant to the affects their actions have on the child within their womb.

Damage Caused by Alcohol:

1st Trimester:
causes greatest brain damage, facial malformations, miscarriage, damages heart, liver and kidneys
2nd Trimester: impairs brain development, damages muscles, teeth, bones and skin
3rd Trimester: impairs lung development, poor weight gain for fetus, causes early labor and delivery

Figure 4

The Damage Caused by Alcohol Table, Figure 4, shows the damages to the developing fetus by trimester. Again this breaks down the affects a pregnant woman’s actions have on their unborn child.

People need to be more aware of the consequences of their actions. No child deserves the aftermath of their parents naivety. Is it worth it? No. We can prevent this by educating mothers before more children are hurt.