The Effects Of Alcohol During Pregnancy On Children

Alcohol is a TERATOGEN, meaning that it will cause developmental damage to a FETUS or EMBRYO. The degree to which a TERATOGEN wreaks havoc on an unborn child largely depends on four factors: dosage, heredity, age, and additional negative factors. The most vulnerable prenatal period is during the stage of embryonic development, which occurs between the third and eighth weeks of pregnancy. Once alcohol penetrates the PLACENTA and enters the fetal bloodstream it hinders the neurons inside the child’s neural tube, negatively impacting their creation and ability to send signals to one another. The consumption of alcohol during pregnancy can cause FETAL ALCOHOL SPECTRUM DISORDER (FASD), which includes three different levels of severity with the first and most serious level being FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME (FAS). FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME is a serious condition that affects both a child’s PHENOTYPE and GENOTYPE. This condition is characterized by delayed growth causing lower tha n normal height and weight, brain damage (made apparent through an observably smaller sized cranium, accompanied with at least three areas of reduced cognitive functioning), and its iconic facial distortions including wide set eyes, an abnormal philtrum, and a thinner upper lip. Brain damage is probably the most serious of the accompanying conditions. The brain is actually structured differently, and the differences are made clear on an MRI. The ability to control one’s muscles properly, as well as poorShow MoreRelatedThe Truth About What Alcohol Abuse Does to a Fetus1118 Words   |  5 PagesThe Truth About Fetal Alcohol Abuse Would you have ever thought of physically, mentally, and/or emotionally harming an unborn child? In the 1990s people have noted the significant impact alcohol-related birth defects are having on our society then and now. 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