Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS): A Brochure on Prevention and Treatment

This document presents a brochure designed to educate readers about Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), a condition caused by prenatal alcohol exposure. It highlights the prevalence of FAS in the US, noting that it is a leading cause of preventable mental retardation. The brochure details the history of FAS, its implications on infants and children, and the dangers of alcohol consumption during pregnancy. It further provides information on the treatment options available for children with FAS, emphasizing early diagnosis as crucial. The brochure also offers advice to pregnant women, urging them to avoid alcohol entirely and seek medical advice if they struggle with alcohol consumption. The resource concludes with references to support its claims, aiming to raise awareness and prevent FAS through education.

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Brochure
Name
Institution

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Did you know that alcohol
exposure to prenatal is one of
the primary root of mental
retardation in the US?
Current FAS Statistics
According to current statistics
from CDC, one in 10 pregnant
women in the US with the age
bracket of 18 to 44-year
indicates alcohol use. Amid
pregnant women, the incidence
of use of alcohol is highest
among college students with
13%, women aged 25-44 years
with 18.6% and unmarried
women with 12.9. However,
research shows that the majority
of women are uninformed of the
dangers of drinking alcohol
while pregnant while others are
unaware that they are pregnant
ending up drinking alcohol.
What is Fetal Alcohol
Syndrome (FAS)?
FAS refers to a disorder usually
characterized by a combination
of body and face
malformations, retarded growth
and various disorders of the
central nervous system (CNS)
caused by the use of alcohol
during pregnancy.
History of FAS
The condition was identified for
the first time in the US in 1973
and has been one of the primary
root of mental retardation in the
US, which is preventable.
Studies conducted using in-
person assessment of school-
aged children in various
communities in the US showed
an estimate of six to nine out of
1000 children have FAS (May
et al., 2014). It is also estimated
that around 8000 infants in the
US are born with FAS.
Implications of drinking
alcohol as related to fetal
alcohol syndrome
Use of alcohol by pregnant
women has various minor to

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severe problems, which are
related to FAS (Subramoney,
Eastman, Adnams, Stein &
Donald, 2018). In infants they
include, slow reaction time
reduced responsiveness to
stimuli and reduced visual
acuity. Later in childhood, the
problems include learning
disables, hyperactivity,
distractibility, restlessness, short
attention span, behavioral
problems, aggression, mood
disorders, and memory deficits.
Children of older age tend to
have difficulties with keeping
with schoolwork and have low
self-esteem. Teenagers tend to
have poor impulse control and
behavior control while adults
have face problems when
dealing with various daily
obstacles such as employment,
transportation, and money
management.
How Much Alcohol is
Dangerous?
There is no well-known safest
volume of alcohol to drink
when a woman is pregnant.
Research shows that even little
amounts of social drinking can
lead to significant harmful
effects on a fetus.
Treatment for Children with
FAS
Children with FAS can be
referred by GPs to community
pediatricians in order to
investigate the problems further
with psychiatrists,
psychologists, language and
speech therapists, and organ
defects specialists. Early
diagnosis is the key to treatment
of FAS.
How to Prevent FAS?
 Education is the key
element for preventing
FAS.

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 Pregnant women should
avoid drinking alcohol
at all cost.
 Women should stop
drinking alcohol
immediately they
suspect that they are
pregnant.
 Pregnant women, who
have trouble controlling
the drinking habit,
should seek medical
advice from a doctor or
health care provider.
Advise for mums-to-be
Due to the health effects
associated with drinking
during pregnancy such as
FAS, the safest approach is
to avoid drinking alcohol at
all for anyone who is trying
to conceive or pregnant.

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References
May, P., Baete, A., Russo, J., Elliott, A., Blankenship, J., & Kalberg, W. et al. (2014). Prevalence and
Characteristics of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. PEDIATRICS, 134(5), 855-866.
Subramoney, S., Eastman, E., Adnams, C., Stein, D., & Donald, K. (2018). The Early Developmental Outcomes
of Prenatal Alcohol Exposure: A Review. Frontiers in Neurology, 9.