health

Fetal alcohol syndrome occurs as the result of a woman drinking alcohol
during her pregnancy. Alcohol is a teratogen, which means that it is a
substance that causes birth defects. Although heavy or binge drinking
increases the risk of having a child with FAS, even moderate or occasional

drinking can affect the unborn baby. In addition, it does not matter
what type of alcoholic beverage is consumed. Beer or wine can harm
the baby as much as whiskey or other forms of distilled alcohol.
It also does not matter whether the mother drinks throughout her
pregnancy or only during a brief period. Alcohol can affect the baby’s
development at any point during pregnancy. The ways in which alcohol
affects the development of the baby before birth are not fully understood.
What is known is that the fetus depends on the mother’s liver to clear
alcohol from its bloodstream as well as her own. It is thought that alcohol
and a chemical called acetaldehyde, which is formed during the body’s
digestion of alcohol, disrupt the process of cell reproduction and tissue
formation in the baby’s body. In addition, these chemicals interfere with
the transfer of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients from the mother’s
body to the baby, thus starving the baby of nutrients that are vital
to healthy growth. Last, alcohol and acetaldehyde interfere with the oxygen
supply to the baby. Some pregnancies end in miscarriage if the mother is
a heavy drinker. A child with FAS may also be born prematurely or die of
sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
The symptoms of FAS at birth may include withdrawal syndrome if the mother
had been drinking heavily shortly before delivery. Newborns suffering from
alcohol withdrawal may be hyperactive, restless, or suffer from seizures.
The physical and developmental symptoms are described in the next section
because they are used to diagnose the disorder.