FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME …the effect of alcohol on your unborn child… Camille Hicks

? QUESTIONS ? What if I only drink a little while pregnant? I don’t drink the hard stuff… is that okay? Will I be okay if I stop the last few months. Beer doesn’t count, does it?

FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME Drinking alcohol, any kind and any time, during your pregnancy may be harmful. If you drink while pregnant, your baby will be at risk to be born with FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME is caused by drinking alcoholic beverages while pregnant. The cause of this birth defect is considered to be “environmental”.

What are the CHARACTERISTICS of FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME (FAS)? Leading cause of mental retardation, or some degree of mental disability Short attention span Hyperactivity Social and behavior problems Abnormally small at birth Small head circumference Small, widely spaced eyes Flat mid-face Thin upper lip and underdeveloped jaw

FETAL ALCOHOL EFFECT (FAE) Less severe set of FAS symptoms FAE in 3-4 births / 1,000 in U.S. each year Mothers who drink moderately or lightly while pregnant may have a child with Fetal Alcohol Effect (FAE) The brain of babies with FAE may have varying degrees of damage.

What is the TREATMENT or PREVENTION of FAS? FAS and related conditions are 100% PREVENTABLE! STOP consuming alcoholic drinks BEFORE you become pregnant. Avoid ALL alcohol products while you are pregnant.

References: Booze News, Fact Sheet. Retrived September 11, 2002, from http://www.cspinet.org/booze/fas.htm Kellerman, T. (2002) FAS Community Resource Center. Retrived September 11, 2002, from http://www.come-over.to/FAS National Organization of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Retrived September 11, 2002, from http://www.nofas.org