fetal alcohol syndrome

Examples of fetal alcohol syndrome in the following topics:

• Teratogens

  • Alcohol use in pregnancy may result in fetal alcohol ayndrome (FAS).
  • It is not clear if there is any safe amount of alcohol consumption in pregnancy.
  • Fetal cranial bone abnormalities are also common.
  • Alcohol is a teratogen.
  • When consumed in pregnancy, it can result in mothers giving birth to children with fetal alcohol syndrome.

• The Influence of Behavior on Genes

  • Prenatal exposure to certain substances, particularly drugs and alcohol, has detrimental effects on a growing fetus.
  • The most serious consequences of prenatal drug or alcohol exposure involve newborn addiction and fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS).
  • Fetal alcohol syndrome affects both physical and mental development, damaging neurons within the brain and often leading to cognitive impairment and below-average weight.
  • Exposure to drugs and alcohol can also influence the genes of children and adults.
  • Addiction is thought to have a genetic component, which may or may not be caused by a genetic mutation resulting from drug or alcohol use.

• Intellectual Disabilities

  • Among the common causes of intellectual disabilities are fetal alcohol syndrome and Down syndrome; other contributing factors include certain genetic disorders and exposures to environmental toxins.
  • This spectrum of disorders (FASD) is a group of conditions that can occur in a person whose mother ingested alcohol during pregnancy.
  • Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is the most severe disorder on this spectrum, and it is the leading cause of intellectual disability.
  • This syndrome is caused when alcohol crosses the barrier of the placenta in a pregnant woman and damages the developing brain of the fetus.
  • Alcohol exposure presents a risk of fetal brain damage at any point during a pregnancy, since brain development is ongoing throughout pregnancy.

• Tissue Development

  • Excessive alcohol consumption during embryogenesis can have a negative effect on the development of tissues produced by the different germ layers.
  • A fetus that survives to birth becomes an infant displaying the traits of fetal alcohol syndrome.

• Environmental Impacts on Prenatal Development

  • Alcohol and most drugs cross the placenta and affect the fetus.
  • Excessive maternal drinking while pregnant can cause fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) with life-long consequences for the child, ranging in severity from minor to major.
  • It is unknown how much alcohol is necessary to cause damage, and so doctors typically recommend that alcohol should be completely avoided during pregnancy.
  • Additionally, high doses of aspirin are known to lead to maternal and fetal bleeding, although low-dose aspirin is usually not harmful.
  • Any form of prenatal stress felt by the mother can have negative effects on various aspects of fetal development, and can cause harm to both mother and child.

• Down Syndrome

  • Down syndrome or Down's syndrome, also known as trisomy 21, is a chromosomal condition caused by the presence of all or part of a third copy of chromosome 21.
  • This is the cause of 1–2% of the observed Down syndromes.
  • Translocation Down syndrome is often referred to as familial Down syndrome.
  • Many standard prenatal screens can discover Down syndrome.
  • Amniocentesis is an invasive procedure and involves taking amniotic fluid from the amniotic sac and identifying fetal cells.

• Congenital Heart Defects

  • Other defects, such as long QT syndrome, affect the heart's rhythm.
  • Known antenatal environmental factors that may lead to congenital heart defects include maternal infections (Rubella), drugs (alcohol, hydantoin, lithium, and thalidomide) and maternal illness (diabetes mellitus, phenylketonuria, and systemic lupus erythematosus).
  • Although there are minor conflicting reports, there was significant support for the risk of fetal CHD development in overweight mothers (BMI= 25-29.9).
  • It is called hypoplastic left heart syndrome when it affects the left side of the heart and hypoplastic right heart syndrome when it affects the right side of the heart.

• Behavior and Environmental Influences on Health

  • Of the two thirds of the North American population who consume alcohol, 10% are alcoholics and 6% consume more than half of all alcohol.
  • This condition is usually referred to as The Adult Children of Alcoholics Syndrome.
  • Al-Anon, a group modelled after Alcoholics Anonymous, offers aid to friends and family members of alcoholics.
  • Of course, not everyone who consumes alcohol is an alcoholic or is at danger of becoming an alcoholic.
  • Fetal alcohol exposure is regarded by researchers as the leading known cause of mental and physical birth defects, surpassing both spina bifida and Down syndrome, producing more severe abnormalities than heroin, cocaine, or marijuana, and is the most common preventable cause of birth defects in the United States.

• The TORCH Panel of Tests

  • TORCH infections are a group of viral, bacterial, and protozoan infections that gain access to the fetal bloodstream from the mother.
  • TORCH infections can lead to severe fetal anomalies or even fetal loss.
  • Haematogenous transmission may occur at any time during gestation or occasionally at the time of delivery via maternal-to-fetal transfusion .
  • TORCH infections cause a syndrome characterized by microcephaly, sensorineural deafness, chorioretinitis, hepatosplenomegaly, and thrombocytopenia.
  • It is also possible for genetic conditions (such as Aicardi-Goutieres syndrome) to present in a similar manner.

• The Role of Genes in Prenatal Development

  • There are three stages of prenatal development—germinal, embryonic, and fetal.
  • Some mutations of the genes can result in conditions such as Down Syndrome or Turner's Syndrome.
  • However, an individual's genetic makeup at the very least serves as a crucial baseline (which may then be mediated by the environment) for such characteristics as the ability to begin learning spoken language, such personality traits as a tendency toward aggressive versus submissive behavior, and risk levels for such diseases as alcoholism and addiction.