Baby Your Baby - Alcohol use in pregnancy and FASD
With International Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) Awareness Day coming up on September 9th, MotherToBaby Utah wants to remind women how important it is to avoid alcohol during their 9 months of pregnancy. Most pregnant people have probably heard they shouldn’t drink alcohol during pregnancy, but you may not know why. Today we’ll talk about what FASD is, the impact, and prevention.
What is Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder?
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders are a range or “spectrum” of birth defects and developmental delays caused by drinking alcohol during pregnancy. The spectrum of birth defects can include changes in facial features, heart defects, and other problems. Developmental delays from FASD can include learning disabilities, as well as problems with abstract thinking and judgment. It costs about $2 million for each person in additional costs to address the problems someone on the severe end of the FASD spectrum faces throughout his or her lifetime.
Is there a cure for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder?
No, there is no cure. Babies born with FASD have lifelong problems and are more likely to have problems in school. People with FASD are also more likely to be incarcerated as an adult and need someone to help care for them for the rest of their lives.
How can pregnant individuals prevent Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder?
The easiest thing pregnant people can do to prevent FASD is not drink alcohol at all when they are pregnant or while they are trying to become pregnant. Some drinking patterns are worse than others and put the baby at risk, like drinking alcohol every day and binge drinking. Binge drinking is when you drink a lot of alcohol at one time.
If pregnant individuals or healthcare providers have questions about alcohol use in pregnancy or how to reduce the risk of FASD, they can contact us through MotherToBaby.utah.gov.
Links to websites or resources:
Avoid alcohol in pregnancy to prevent FASD. https://mothertobaby.org/fact-sheets/alcohol-pregnancy/
