What are the health implications seen in infants that are associated with the mother consuming alcohol during pregnancy?
What will be an ideal response?
Drinking alcohol during pregnancy endangers the fetus because alcohol crosses the placenta freely and deprives the developing fetus of both nutrients and oxygen. The damaging effects of alcohol on the developing fetus cover a range of abnormalities referred to as fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. Diagnosis is based on specific criteria, and those at the most severe end of the spectrum are described as having fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) a cluster of symptoms that includes the following:
• Prenatal and postnatal growth restriction
• Abnormalities of the brain and central nervous system, with consequent impairment in cognition and behavior
• Physical abnormalities of the face and skull that alter normal patterns of symmetry
• Increased frequency of major birth defects such as cleft palate, heart defects, and defects in ears, eyes, genitals, and urinary system
FAS damage at birth is persistent, and children with FAS never fully recover. An occasional drink may appear harmless, but researchers are unable to say how much alcohol is safe to consume during pregnancy. For this reason, health-care professionals urge women to stop drinking alcohol as soon as they become pregnant. The only sure way to protect an infant from alcohol damage is for the mother to abstain.
You might also like to view...
A four-month-old exclusively breastfed infant who has not begun eating other foods should receive _____ supplements.
A. multivitamin B. vitamin B12 C. calcium D. iron E. fluoride
The enrichment of grain products in the United States was initiated in the ____
a. 1880s b. 1900s c. 1920s d. 1940s e. 1960s
Some artificial food colors have been shown to cause hyperactivity in some children
Indicate whether the statement is true or false
People at risk for _____ may benefit from limiting their intake of high-GI foods
a. infectious disease b. arthritis c. diabetes d. migraine headaches