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The startling fact is that Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is the leading cause of mental retardation in the western world today.
FAS is a pattern of birth defects that result from drinking alcohol during pregnancy. According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention’s August 1996 final report about FAS/FAE (Fetal Alcohol Effect), each year an estimated 130 to 400 children in Michigan are born with FAS. To address this serious problem, the SEMCA Substance Abuse Services along with The Detroit Health Department Bureau of Substance Abuse held an FAS Conference. |
 Barbara Wybrecht was the presenter at the conference. |
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Barbara Wybrecht, R.N., BSN was the presenter at this informative conference. A special session for young adults was held the first day and an adult session was conducted the following day. Adults completing the conference were awarded five CAC/CPS/CPC credit hours. Both sessions covered in-depth material about FAS and FAE. When a pregnant woman drinks alcohol, the Ethanol in an alcoholic drink easily passes through the placenta, raising the baby’s blood alcohol level at a higher rate than that of the mother. The baby’s tiny, developing system is not equipped to handle alcohol and is affected much more severely. |
 Students from the Taylor Teen Health Center were present for young adult day. |
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Research in the last two decades has determined that alcohol is a teratogen. This means that it interferes with the fetus’s production and development of new cells. Wybrecht showed the conference disturbing images of the brains of infants born with FAS. Often, the two familiar lobes of the brain were not distinguishable in these images. The infants who were born with these brains did not survive. |
 SEMCA Substance Abuse Services Team (left to right) Marilou Lommerse, Administrative Assistant; Angela Kalkofen, Prevention Coordinator; and Darlene Owens, Treatment Services Assistant. |
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Cases like this are extreme. Most often, babies born with FAS or FAE (less severe conditions) are not diagnosed right away. Typically, doctors determine whether a child has FAS by observing three things: 1. Slowed Growth. Children whose mothers drank during pregnancy are often born small. They usually remain thinner and shorter than other children their age throughout childhood. As adults, these individuals tend to be shorter than average. |
 Barbara Wybrecht spoke to a full room during the adult session. |
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2. Abnormal physical features Children affected by alcohol often have certain facial features. Some of these are difficult to spot when the baby is first born. The one physical feature that is required for FAS diagnosis is microcephaly (a small head). Other features include: short eye openings; a flat mid-face (cheek bones); a short nose; flat, wide nose bridge; shallow groove between the nose and upper lip; and a thin upper lip. Physical abnormalities that are not readily apparent can be vision and hearing problems, joint problems that limit movement, and internal organ defects. 3. Damage to the central nervous system This damage can sometimes be determined by: weak sucking ability as a baby (this may cause nutrition problems); trouble sleeping; lower intelligence (this can range from slightly lower intelligence to severe mental retardation); a short attention span (Attention Deficit Disorder); trouble controlling behavior; memory problems; and poor balance and muscle control. |
 The SEMCA Substance Abuse Display. |
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A child who shows signs in all three groups is said to have FAS. A child who shows signs of one or two categories is said to have FAE.
Research shows that alcohol affects a fetus at all stages of development. Therefore, it is not safe to drink alcohol at any time during a pregnancy. Any amount of alcohol will affect a fetus. The more a pregnant woman drinks, the more severe the damage to the baby. It has been determined that nursing mothers can also harm their babies by drinking alcohol. Unfortunately, Wybrecht has spoken with many mothers who say that their doctors informed them that it was safe to drink while they were pregnant. Some state that they were told “Just don’t drink a lot.” The results of this bad advice are heart breaking. Wybrecht is trying to spread the word and dispel this tragic myth. It is not safe for pregnant women to drink at any time. You wouldn’t give your baby a drink after it was born. Don’t give it a drink before it is born. To learn more about FAS please visit the National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome web site at www.nofas.org | |
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