fetal alcohol syndrome

Examples of fetal alcohol syndrome in the following topics:

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• Chromosomes and Genes

  • Chromosomal abnormalities can occur during fetal development if something goes wrong during the replication of the cells.
  • Common abnormalities include Down syndrome (caused by an extra chromosome #21), Klinefelter syndrome (caused by an extra X chromosome), and Turner syndrome (caused by a missing X chromosome).
  • Many chromosomal abnormalities are of psychological importance, with substantial impacts on mental processes; for example, Down syndrome can cause mild to moderate intellectual disabilities.

• Intellectual Disabilities

  • Intellectual disability can be either syndromic (in which intellectual deficits are present along with other medical and behavioral signs and symptoms), or non-syndromic (in which intellectual deficits appear without other abnormalities).
  • Down syndrome and fragile X syndrome are examples of syndromic intellectual disabilities.
  • The most prevalent genetic conditions include Down syndrome, Klinefelter's syndrome, fragile X syndrome (common among boys), neurofibromatosis, congenital hypothyroidism, Williams syndrome, phenylketonuria (PKU), and Prader-Willi syndrome.
  • For example, a pregnant woman who drinks alcohol or who gets an infection such as rubella may have a baby with an intellectual disability.
  • Down syndrome is one of the more common genetic causes of intellectual disability.

• Specific Learning Disorder

  • Learning disabilities can result from anomalies in the developing brain, illness or injury, fetal exposure to alcohol or drugs, low birth weight, oxygen deprivation, or premature or prolonged labor.

• Dissociation

  • Coping through dissociation is often associated with post-traumatic stress syndrome.
  • Substances with dissociative properties include ketamine, nitrous oxide, alcohol, LSD, tiletamine, marijuana, dextromethorphan, PCP, methoxetamine, salvia, and muscimol.

• Sleep-Wake Disorders

  • ., asthma, diabetes, heart disease, pregnancy, or a neurological condition), or abuse of alcohol or drugs.
  • For adults, alcohol, sedatives, medications, medical conditions and mental disorders are all associated with sleepwalking.
  • Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a neurological disorder characterized by an irresistible urge to move one's body to stop uncomfortable or odd sensations.

• Narcotics

  • Except in cases of acute intoxication, there is no loss of motor coordination or slurred speech, as occurs with many depressants such as alcohol or barbiturates.
  • Physical dependence refers to an alteration of normal body functions that necessitates the continued presence of a drug in order to prevent the withdrawal or abstinence syndrome.
  • Restlessness, irritability, loss of appetite, tremors and severe sneezing appear as the syndrome progresses.