Alcohol
use during pregnancy may damage a developing fetus. The possibility,
extent, and type of damage depends on the amount of alcohol use; the
frequency of use; and the fetus's genetic susceptibility. The Effects of
alcohol on Pregnant women are classified as follows:
Classification of Alcohol Effects on Pregnant Women:
Alcoholic individuals who
become pregnant are in a high risk category for delivery of an infant
with Alcohol-Related Birth Defects (ARBD), Alcohol-Related
Neurodevelopmental Disorders (ARND) or Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) together
know as Fetal Alcohol Spectrum of Disorders.
1) Alcohol-Related Birth
Defects (ARBD):- comprise of a diverse array of physical defects:
skeletal abnormalities, heart defects, cleft palate and other
craniofacial abnormalities, kidney and other internal organ problems,
vision and hearing problems.
2).Alcohol-Related Neurodevelopmental Disorders (ARND) or Fetal Alcohol
Effects (FAE) are characterized by organic brain damage, and some
physical malformations, but mental retardation is not always present.
3).Fetal
Alcohol Syndrome (FAS): is a cluster of non-curable brain disorders and
physical malformations, including mental retardation, caused by alcohol
drinking by women at the time of pregnancy. The effects of FAS are life
long. It is the most commonly-known preventable cause of birth defects
that result in mental retardation.
Risk
Factors: Epidemiological studies of FAS, ARBD and ARND, as well as studies of
alcohol abusing and dependent women consistently point out the
following list of same risk factors. These risk factors represent a
variety of conditions that are frequently associated with the birth
of a child with FAS or Another alcohol-related condition (ARBD
or ARND)
l
|
Table 1
Common Risk Factors Associated With Heavy Maternal Drinking, FAS,
and ARBD/ ARND |
Influential
Element
|
Maternal
Risk Factor
|
|
Health |
Older than age
25 when FAS child is born
Already has three or more children when FAS child is born
Use of other drugs, including tobacco and illicit substances
Morbidity or premature mortality from alcohol-related causes |
Socioeconomic
status ( SES) |
Low SES
Social transience
Unemployment or marginal employment |
|
Drinking
pattern |
Early age at
onset of regular drinking
Frequent binge drinking ( i. e. , consuming five or more drinks
per occasion 2 or more days per week)
Frequent drinking ( i. e. , every day or every weekend)
High blood alcohol concentration
No reduction in drinking during pregnancy |
|
Psychological
profile |
Low self-esteem
Depression
Sexual dysfunction |
|
Family social
traits |
Alcohol misuse
in family
Alcohol misuse by the woman s male partner
Tenuous marital status ( i. e. , cohabitation, never married,
separated, or divorced)
Loss of children to foster or adoptive placement
|
|
Local culture
and community |
Relatively
tolerant of heavy drinking |
ARBD =
alcohol-related birth defects; ARND = alcohol-related
neurodevelopmental disorder; FAS = fetal alcohol syndrome.
SOURCES: Adapted from NIAAA 2000; see also Stratton et al. 1996;
Abel 1998 b .
|
