Has your family been negatively impacted by alcohol. The odds are pretty good you have. It has been estimated that 25% of all families have been affected by alcohol and alcohol-related incidents.
This is a series of blogs looking at alcohol and its disastrous effects on families. As reported in allpsych.com.
Why an Expectant Mother Should Not Drink
Research has proven that alcohol consumption during pregnancy has a strong chance of affecting the fetus. Did you realize that a mother's blood-alcohol concentration is passed directly to the fetus?
In general, the more severe the mother’s drinking problem during pregnancy, the more severe the symptoms of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) in infants. Babies born with FAS are shorter and underweight compared to normal babies. They have deformities of the brain and skull, and very characteristic facial features such as small eye openings; thin upper lips; long, flat faces; and a long groove in the middle of their upper lips. These children’s central nervous systems are also damaged.
Children with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome have difficulties in learning, attention span, judgment, memory, problem-solving, and frequently behavior problems. Children with FAS may also have problems with social skills. Their frustration easily turns to anger as they grow older. These children are hyperactive – unable to sit or stand still for a long time. They are often impulsive, poorly coordinated, and have impaired speech and hearing.
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and its effects are permanent, often leading to lifelong problems with mental retardation.
Again, as I asked in a previous onlinealcoholclass.com blog, is it really worth it to take a chance drinking during pregnancy? What are your thoughts? We will continue to look at the harmful effects on the body and family in the next blog entry.