The Effects of Alcohol on a Fetus

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Asia Little

Instructor Kruse

Comm l

13 September 2012

“The Effects of Alcohol on a Fetus”

Would you put an alcoholic beverage in a bottle and feed it to an infant? Any sane parent would answer no to this question. Anything consumed by the mother is being consumed by the unborn baby as well. Alcohol travels through the umbilical cord and to the baby. “The blood alcohol level of a fetus will remain high for a long period of time, because alcohol breaks down differently in a fetus than an adult”. (Gillen, P) Since the fetus isn’t fully developed alcohol breaks down a lot slower. It’s very important to stop drinking once you know you’re pregnant. Also inform the doctor so the necessary steps can be taken throughout the pregnancy to make sure the unborn baby is ok. Studies do not show if it’s safe to consume alcohol during pregnancy; to be on the safe side its best to just refrain from alcohol the entire nine months. Alcohol use can be very harmful to the development of the growing fetus, causing physical malformations, impaired growth, learning and behavioral problems. Alcohol use during pregnancy may not cause harm to the mother, but it’s evident that heavy use of alcohol can cause a lifetime of severe effects.

One harmful affect that alcohol use has on a fetus is the physical features. The term fetal alcohol spectrum disorder describes the variety of effects on a child. The problems range from mild to severe, and will last all of his or her life. A child may have a small microcephaly head, flat face, and narrow eye openings, for example. These distinct features are usually more

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noticeable when the child is around 2-3 years of age. These physical abnormalities are very much possible, but not as likely as other developmental problems the child may develop.

Fetal alcohol syndrome is the permanent, lifelong damage of a fetus due to excessive alcohol use. The presence of fetal alcohol syndrome facial features indicates brain...