Child And Adolescent Psychiatrists Raise Awareness Of Fetal Alcohol Effects

April 18, 2007 – 1:30 pm | posted in Pediatrics, Pregnancy, Women's Health / OBGYN

In recognition of April, Alcohol Awareness Month, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) has introduced new educational guidelines, in English and Spanish, on the consequences of drinking alcohol during pregnancy. The Facts for Families on Drinking Alcohol in Pregnancy (Fetal Alcohol Effects) outlines symptoms of the disorder and warning signs of alcohol abuse.

Pregnant women should not drink any alcohol at any point during their pregnancy.

Alcohol consumption during pregnancy is a major cause of mental retardation and birth defects.* Fetal alcohol effects are present in more than one in 100 live births or as many as 40,000 infants each year. In addition to developmental delays, children born with fetal alcohol effects have a higher incidence of behavioral problems, including conduct disorder, depression, and attentional disorders.

“Pregnant women should not drink alcohol, period. This is a disorder that is wholly preventable and there is no justification for the risk.” said AACAP President Thomas F. Anders, M.D. “The key to preventing fetal alcohol effects is increasing public understanding of how debilitating this condition is.”

A child is diagnosed with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) if the child was exposed to alcohol prenatally and has facial deformities, slow or delayed growth, or brain and neurological problems. Fetal alcohol syndrome should be diagnosed by an appropriately trained physician like a child and adolescent psychiatrist.

If a woman has trouble stopping drinking, she should seek the help of an health professional like her obstetrician. Likewise, family and friends of pregnant women are encouraged to convey the dangers of drinking alcohol during pregnancy.

For more information on this subject and to view the entire AACAP Facts for Families series, view http://www.aacap.org

*According to the National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome’s (NOFAS), Web site, http://www.nofas.org.

Representing over 7,500 child and adolescent psychiatrists nationwide, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) is the leading authority on children’s mental health.

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