The LIGHT Center, T-90, College of the Redwoods (476-4290) - April 22, 2001

ARE YOU PREGNANT?

Okay, now that I have your attention, let’s talk about something serious.  Answer the following questions:

1. What is the leading known cause of mental retardation?

2. What costs the American taxpayers more than $321 million a year?

3. What, according to the National Institute of Health are only 39% of women knowledgeable about?

If your answer to these three questions was Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and related conditions, you would be correct and in the knowledgeable minority.  Of all substances commonly abused, including heroin, cocaine, and marijuana, alcohol produces more serious neurobehavioral effects in the fetus.  

Each year there are 5000 infants born in the U.S. with full-blown fetal alcohol syndrome.  This boils down to 1 in every 750 live births. In addition to this number, there are between 35,000 and 50,000 babies born each year with Alcohol Related Neurodevelopmental Disorders (ARND).   It is amazing to think that despite all the publicity surrounding the dangers of drinking while pregnant, the incidence of drinking during pregnancy has increased substantially in the past few years.  This is according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.  Those at highest risk of drinking while pregnant are women who smoke, are single, who are in college or hold degrees, and women in households with incomes over $50,000.

The effects that occur with FAS are unfortunately permanent and irreversible.  The resulting problems are due to what is termed “static encephalopathy”, which refers to the fact that the brain itself is altered by the alcohol, and therefore the problems that emerge are not simple “behavior problems”.  Most infants with FAS are irritable.  They tend to not eat well, nor do they sleep as well as other children without the syndrome.  These infants often have hyperextension of the limbs or heads, and can be either “stiff” or “floppy” in terms of muscle tone.  They often suffer defects of the heart, or abnormalities of the ears, eyes, liver or joints.  Most have developmental delays.  Some of the problems that end up interfering with the education of students with FAS include:

• Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity

• Memory Deficit

• Difficulty with abstract concepts such as math, time, money

• Poor problem solving skills

• Difficulty learning from consequences

• Poor judgment, not considering consequences

• Immature behavior

• Poor impulse control, anger outbursts, impulsivity

• Hearing and visual problems, sensory integration dysfunction

• Maxilo-facial deformities resulting in speech problems

• Learning disabilities

• Little or no capacity for moral judgment.

DID YOU KNOW…

There are some telltale signs of FAS that manifest in physical characteristics.  Such things as an unusually low birth weight, small head, small widely spaced eyes, a flat short nose, think upper lip and undeveloped jaw are all physical characteristics that physicians and psychologists look for when making the diagnosis of FAS.  Those individuals who have many of the learning problems, but none of the physical characteristics are often diagnosed as Fetal Alcohol Effects.  The disabilities that emerge from either FAS or FAE or ARND are classified as the following:

Primary
These disabilities are measured by general intelligence, academic achievement, and adaptive functioning.  Academically, these students perform well below their peers, even though their overall IQ may be normal.

Secondary
According to a recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

• 94% of these individuals have mental health problems

• 43% drop out of school

• 60% are in trouble with the law

• 60% have received inpatient care

• 45% exhibit inappropriate sexual behavior

• 80% were in a Dependent living situation

• 80% have employment difficulty

• 72% have exposure to violence either as a victim or a perpetrator.

• 30% suffer from alcohol or drug abuse themselves.

Comments?          mailto:trish-blair@eureka.redwoods.edu

Quotation of the Week

Empty pockets never held anyone back. Only empty heads and empty hearts can do that. -- Norman Vincent Peale