Introduction to Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
Expecting mothers are always told never to drink. WHY? Well it can harm the baby of course! Yet it seems like quite a few mothers do not go as the doctors say and allow themselves to drink. There are pregnant women who are oblivious to the idea of harming their baby by the intake of alcohol. Whether it is one sip or binge drinking, alcohol has horrible, unthinkable effects on a fetus. Not only can it damage their nervous system, making them mentally retarded, but it can also result in kidney failure as well as a heart defect. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is one of the many terms given to the result of drinking during pregnancy. Children who are born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome live tough lives with their under developed nervous system and inability to function as well as the other healthy children around them.
(Allina Hospitals & Clinics)
Children born with FAS are different internally and externally. Not only are their organs and organ system damaged, but their facial features are as well. One of the most important differences is the smooth philtrum which can easily help distinguish a health child from one with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. The underdeveloped jaw and the short eyelid openings add to the recognizable details of an FAS child. The image on the right shows the various different facial characteristics of an FAS child.
(Fathers for Life)