Exam 9: Alcohol

Correct Answer:

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F.A.S. stands for Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, which is a condition in a child that results from alcohol exposure during the mother's pregnancy. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome causes brain damage and growth problems. The problems caused by Fetal Alcohol Syndrome vary from child to child, but defects caused by Fetal Alcohol Syndrome are not reversible. There is a range of effects that can occur in an individual whose mother drank alcohol during pregnancy, and these effects can include physical, mental, behavioral, and/or learning disabilities with possible lifelong implications.

The most at risk for Fetal Alcohol Syndrome are unborn babies whose mothers consume alcohol during pregnancy. Alcohol can damage a fetus at any stage of pregnancy, even before a woman knows she is pregnant. Therefore, the risk is highest among women who drink alcohol while pregnant. However, the risk is entirely preventable; if a woman does not consume alcohol during her pregnancy, her child cannot develop Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.

It is important to note that there is no known safe amount of alcohol or safe time to drink during pregnancy. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and other health authorities recommend that women who are pregnant or might be pregnant should be advised to abstain completely from alcohol to avoid the potential effects of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome on the developing fetus.