Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: a growing problem that is preventable

Research suggests that as many as one in 20 children in the United States may have health or behavioral problems due to alcohol exposure before birth.

“Women who are pregnant or considering becoming pregnant should not consume any alcohol,” said Ajeet Charate, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Illinois State Coordinator. “More needs to be done to educate women about the risks of drinking alcohol while pregnant,” he added.

In recognition of the 16th International Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Awareness Day on Sept. 9, Charate and Trinity Services, Inc., the Illinois Affiliate of the National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (NOFAS), are joining the cause to increase awareness of the risks of drinking alcohol while pregnant.

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) is an umbrella term that describes the range of effects that can occur in a baby whose mother drank alcohol during pregnancy. Alcohol-exposed pregnancies continue to be a leading cause of birth defects and intellectual disabilities in the United States, and individuals with a FASD are often unrecognized or misdiagnosed, even as adults. The most recognized condition along the continuum of FASDs, fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), is characterized by growth deficiencies, central nervous disabilities, specific facial characteristics, and is the most preventable form of intellectual disability. The number of children born with FAS alone is comparable to spina bifida or Down syndrome.

“Each day, about 430 Illinois families welcome a new baby into their lives,” Charate said. “Most are born healthy, but considering the estimates from the Centers for Disease Control, one percent of the babies—or four a day in Illinois—are born with an FASD. Each of these babies will cost the State $2 to $4 million for their lifetime of care. Roughly $8 to $16 million will be added to the State’s deficit every day for something that is 100 percent preventable,” he said.

Alcohol in a mother’s blood passes to the baby through the placenta and umbilical cord. “When a woman drinks alcohol, so does her baby,” Charate said. “There is no known safe amount or type of alcohol to drink during pregnancy, and there is no safe time to drink during pregnancy, including before a woman knows she’s pregnant. If a woman is drinking alcohol during pregnancy, it’s never too late to stop. The sooner a woman stops drinking, the safer it will be for her and her baby.”

For more information about alcohol use during pregnancy and FASD, visit www.nofasillinois.com or contact The Neurofeedback, Counseling and FASD Institute of Illinois (NCFII), which provides educational materials, diagnostic and treatment services at three locations: 24W 500 Maple Ave. Suite 214, Naperville, 630-548-4501; 2101 Oxford Road, Des Plaines, 847-299-2200, and 13318 W. Lincoln Hwy., New Lenox, 815-462-4273.