Fetal Alcohol Syndrome often overlooked, advocates say
September 10th, 2009From the Chicago Tribune, Irish Times:
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) Awareness Day, held annually on the ninth day of the ninth month, seeks to draw attention to what many advocates call an “invisible disability.”
The date of the event emphasizes the importance of taking a 9-month pause from drinking alcohol during pregnancy.
Almost 30 years after the U.S. surgeon general began issuing warnings about alcohol-related brain disorders, advocates say the syndrome is not as well recognized as autism, epilepsy or other developmental disorders. Among the reasons, advocates say: social stigma, ambivalence about alcohol consumption during pregnancy, and lack of training for doctors.
The CDC and American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists say no amount of alcohol can be considered safe for consumption during pregnancy.
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September 11th, 2009 at 7:28 am
Thank you for welcoming this article and helping to spread awareness of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorders. It is 100% preventable, yet nearly 1 in 100 newborn babies will endure lifelong neuro-cognitive disabilties because of maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy exhibited through an array of permanent learning and behavioral difficulties.