Alcoholic fetalis syndrome
Description:
Fetalis Alcoholic Syndrome (FAS), also synonyms: the alcoholic syndrome of a fruit (ASF), an alcoholic embriofetopatiya, an embryonal alcoholic syndrome, fetalis alcoholic effects — combines various both on a combination, and on deviation degrees of manifestation in psychophysical development of the child which reason the use by the woman of alcohol to is and during pregnancy.
Symptoms of an alcoholic fetalis syndrome:
FAS is a combination of inborn mental and physical defects which are for the first time shown at the birth of the child and remain with it for the rest of life. FAS — lifelong disturbance which does not take place with age. FAS is the main reason of disturbances of intellectual development which can be prevented. FAS includes anomalies in three various areas:
The brain anomalies and frustration connected with activity of the central nervous system including neurologic anomalies, mental retardation, behavior disorders, disturbances of intelligence iit anomalies of structure of a brain;
Prenatal and/or post-natal deficit of growth and weight.
Specific features of a structure of the person:
short palpebral fissure
wide flat nose bridge
smoothed lip fillet
thin upper lip (border of an upper lip)
Children with FAS:
lag behind in growth and weight
have characteristics of the person — front anomalies
can have problems with hearing and sight
study elementary things worse
have problems with memory and attention and difficulties in training at school
control the emotions and the behavior worse
can need special teachers and training at special schools
realize effects of the acts often insufficiently
can make asocial acts and enter the conflict with the law
all life need social protection and medical maintenance
It is unknown what influences more disturbance: quantity, frequency or time of alcohol intake. Even if prenatal influence of alcohol will not bring to FAS, doctors recommend to refrain completely from alcoholic drinks during pregnancy. At smaller doses of alcohol the child can not show all symptoms of FAS, but, nevertheless, suffer from disturbances of a fetalis alcoholic range (FASN).
Outward of the child with an alcoholic fetalis syndrome
Prevention:
Basis of prevention of the Fetalis alcoholic syndrome is the screening of all women of childbearing age directed to identification of risk of impact of alcohol on a fruit. Screening allows to reveal those who are in risk group, and then to use the corresponding methods of consultation for reduction or the termination of alcohol intake before conception.
The screening of women directed to identification of alcoholic problems can be put into usual operation of the doctor or average medical personnel and be carried out by means of questioning or polls.
To the women dependent on alcohol, it is necessary to recommend specialized treatment. For the women who are in a risk zone it is reasonable to use short-term interventions.
Doctors, as a rule, do not consider that they have to raise somehow in a conversation with patients the question of alcohol intake. However, many specialists meet in the practice considerable number of women of childbearing age, and health issues of the woman and her child take an important place in their work.
Results of the research conducted in St. Petersburg and Nizhny Novgorod (poll more than 700 women of childbearing age), showed that doctors (especially gynecologists) are for women the most significant source of information about health and pregnancies: women are inclined to follow their advice and more trust the doctor in comparison with such sources of information as media, special literature, advertizing, relatives and friends.
The researches conducted in a number of the countries also revealed that even short intervention of the doctor reduces alcohol intake by patients and significantly reduces incidence of FAS and FASN. It became clear that even 5 minute intervention (doctor's advice) concerning alcohol intake appeared not less effectively, than a long conversation.
Researches show also that efficiency of the doctor in work with an alcoholic problem depends on time, priorities in work, understanding of the responsibility for health of the patient, ideas of alcohol influence, and also on skills and confidence in opportunities of the influence on the patient.
Carrying out short-term intervention concerning alcohol intake by the woman, the doctor can prevent irreversible inborn disturbances and disability of the child.
