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The Citizen, 2000-09-06, Page 6PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2000. Awareness key to FAS/FAE prevention, says advocate Worth a thousand words Showing an Alberta poster that effectively expresses the dangers, Jane Hoy, a prevention advocate with Rural Response for Healthy Children, is beginning an education program to promote awarness of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome/Effects to residents of Huron County. FAS/FAE FACTS • Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) refers to birth defects that are the direct result of a woman’s drinking alcohol during pregnancy. Children with FAS may be small in size, have abnormal facial features and brain damage. FAS is the leading known cause of mental retardation. Between 30 and 40 per cent of babies whose mothers drink heavily throughout pregnancy have the syndrome. Another 50 per cent of children of heavy drinkers who do not have FAS have one or more signs of Fetal Alcohol Effects (FAE). By Bonnie Gropp Citizen staff There is no safe level for alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Jane Hoy, the FAS/FAE prevention advocate with Rural Response for Healthy Children in Clinton, has the task of educating the public on the tragic realities of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome/Effects. With funding received through the National Crime Prevention Centre she has begun to address the issue by prevention through education. On Sept. 9, Hoy is encouraging everyone to join in the International Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Awareness Day. The idea is simple. Everyone wanting to participate is invited to share a minute of reflection at 9:09 a.m. as it goes around the world. “In this moment the ninth minute of the ninth hour of the ninth day of the ninth month, we want to get out the message in the nine months of preg­ nancy, while breastfeeding or plan­ ning to conceive, women should not drink alcohol,” says Hoy. Other initiatives she will be under­ taking this year includes confer­ ences, workshops, information and supports all to raise awareness of the 100 per cent preventable disability. “I will be working through schools and with medical facilities.” FAS/FAE is the biggest cause of developmental dis­ ability in North America. It is irre­ versible and there is no cure. A can of beer, a glass of wine, a shot of liquor or a wine cooler all contain about 1/2 ounce of absolute alcohol. If a woman consumes two drinks within one hour her baby could have a blood alcohol content even higher than the mother because of the baby's immature system. The alco­ hol molecule is very tiny and passes easily from the mother to the baby where it can destroy brain cells and have adverse effects on the develop­ ing organs. Alcohol can harm an unborn child at any time, with the First trimester FAS/FAE, biggest cause of developmental disability being the most vulnerable, says Hoy. “This is critical because in a lot of cases when a woman has been drink­ ing she didn’t realize she was preg­ nant.” Binge drinking, surprisingly defined as only more than four drinks on one occasion, causes the most devastating effect. The difference between FAS and FAE is essentially the severity. According to information from Hoy, while experts estimate that one per cent of North Americans are living with FAS or FAE, research indicates that as many as one in eight children in the U.S. has some form of perma­ nent brain damage caused by mater­ nal drinking in pregnancy. Because of the type of conduct symptomatic of FAS/FAE children, many are mislabelled, says Hoy. Individuals with FAS have distinc­ tive physical appearance and lower IQs, but have lower crime and addic­ tion rates that individuals which FAE as they get earlier diagnosis and can be better nurtured by society and parents. The damaged brains of those with FAE can result in impulsivity, lying, stealing, tantrums, violence, and aggression. Of those between the ages of 12-51 95 per cent will have mental health problems, 68 per cent will have disrupted school expe­ rience, 68 per cent will experience trouble with the law, 55 per cent will be confined in prison, drug or alcohol treatment centres or mental institutions and 52 per cent will exhibit inappro­ priate sexual behaviour. Of those between the ages of 21 and 51, more than 50 per cent of the males and 70 per cent of the females will have alcohol/drug problems, 82 per cent will not be able to live inde­ pendently and 70 per cent will have problems with employment. Having worked prior to this job with teens coming from detention centres. Hoy is now wondering how many of their problems may have been FAE related. Though the -consequences of FAS/FAE are lifelong, the future is not hopeless, however. Affected individuals can function within their limits, says Hoy. “They like consis­ tency. All children do, but those with FAS need that even more. We need to consider how we develop an envi­ ronment to support these people.” Most important is early diagnosis, best done between the ages of three to 10 years, but it is never too late. Anyone wondering about an assess­ ment can contact Hoy at Rural Response for Healthy Children. The problem is simple, yet com­ plex, says Hoy. “When you consider that a woman who may not even be trying to become pregnant, can be, or that even just a few years ago doc­ tors would say a few drinks won’t • Children with FAS commonly have problems with learning, attention, memory and problem solving, along with a lack of co-ordination, impulsiveness and speech and hearing impairments. • Pregnant women consuming between one and two drinks per day are twice as likely as non-drinkers to have a growth restricted infant weighing less than 3.000 grams. • Newborns whose mothers drink heavily (an average of five drinks per day, especially in the last three months of pregnancy) may show signs of alcohol withdrawal such as tremors, sleeping problems, inconsolable crying, and abnormal reflexes. • Whenever a mother drinks, her baby is at risk for FAS or FAE. Both have been reported in most countries, among all races and socio-economic groups. • Every time a pregnant woman drinks alcohol, her baby does too. The alcohol passes directly through the pla­ centa to the unborn baby. Alcohol is more harmful to the fetus than to the mother because of the unborn baby’s small size and rapid growth rate. • Alcohol in any form is alcohol. A can of beer, glass of wine or a mixed drink all contain the same amount of alcohol. • There is no cure for FAS and the birth defects it causes are irreversible. Once damage is done, it cannot be undone. Children with FAS never “catch up” mentally or physically. Surgery can repair some of the physical prob­ lems, and schools and day care centres offer programs to improve mental and physical development. However, children bom with FAS remain below average in physical and mental development throughout their lives. The Children’s Hospital of Winnipeg receives more than 100 new referrals each year of children, under age 6, who were exposed to alcohol before birth. In addition, there are approximately 50 refer­ rals of school-aged children, adolescents and adults with possible diagnosis of FAS/FAE. ...................................;................................................................................................................................................ • The easiest way for a woman to prevent FAS is not to drink during pregnancy. FAS is the only cause of birth defects which is 100 per cent preventable. No alcohol« no FAS. • The best advice for a woman who drank before she knew she was pregnancy is to stop drinking for the rest of her pregnancy and get regular prenatal care. • Communities, schools and women of childbearing age and concerned individuals can help in preventing FAS/FAE. Although FAS is totally preventable, alcohol is very much a part of our culture and aggressively mar­ keted to young people. Active prevention activities must continue on all fronts to safeguard our children’s future. There is no known “safe” pattern or level of alcohol consumption during pregnancy. It Is not dear whether there is a threshold amount of alcohol that must be consumed before damage to the baby occurs. Nor is there scientific proof that small amounts of alcohol are safe, The majority of researchers recommend complete abstinence or at least reducing intake to minimal levels. Even further, some also advise that women who are planning a pregnancy and nursing mothers abstain from alcohol. • Drinking during breastfeeding appears to affect the developing infant and to reduce milk intake. No scientific evidence supports a safe level of drinking for nursing mothers. • FAS is not a genetic (inherited) disorder. Unless the mother drinks during the pregnancy, her children will not have FAS. • A father’s drinking during or before pregnancy does not directly cause FAS. A partner can play an important role in helping the pregnant woman refrain from alcohol consumption. • Not all women who drink, even those who drink heavily, during pregnancy will have children with FAS. FAS is one end of the spectrum of outcomes associated with drinking. Some children born to drinkers appear normal at birth, but as they grow, the less obvious physical, intellectual and psychological problems resulting from alco­ hol exposure during pregnancy can become evident. • A recent study of 61 adolescents and adults with FAS or FAE revealed IQ scores ranging from 20 to 105, with an average of 68. Fifty-eight percent of these individuals had an IQ score of 70 or below (Streissguth, et al, 1991). operation. This information was compiled from multiple sources, including these US organizations: National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc., Washington, DC; Michigan Substance Abuse & Traffic Safety Information Center, Lansing, Michigan; March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation. Montana Big Sky Chapter, Billings, Montana; and National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, New York, NY. hurt, 1 have a bit of a challenge ahead to gently but firmly provide this information. Even nursing mothers, contrary to old beliefs shouldn’t be drinking. Certainly, you can’t make someone do something, but if they have the information they can make wise choices.” Hoy states that between 15 per cent and 25 per cent of women drink while they are pregnant and also that mbre than half of the women of child bearing age don’t know what FAS is. Yet it has been 26 years since it was identified. “Drinking is such a huge show of our hospitality,” says Hoy. “But the message needs to get out there that when you’re pregnant you just can’t drink.” Spousal support is integral, says Hoy. “Women go through so much when they are expecting so support is needed fr<5m their partners.” When a woman is pregnant and trying to abstain, the number one factor in her not consuming alcohol is her part­ ner’s not drinking as well, she says. After awareness is heightened, says Hoy, the next step will be what can be put into place to help them. “This is just beginning,” she says, adding that she would like to devel­ op a parent support group and encourages anyone interested to call. “As we have advanced in our knowledge and as we continue to we must take this information and use it. I am passionate about this issue and excited by the work ahead of me.”