Chemical Dependency: Alcoholism
Center for Contining Dental Education
Chemical Dependency: Alcoholism
Center for Contining Dental Education
Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), is a disorder characterized by growth retardation, facial abnormalities and central nervous system dysfunction, but is most characterized by the affected individual's bad judgment and the inability to recognize the consequences of their actions. As dental professionals, highly skilled in performing extra- and intra-oral examinations on all our patients, we are in the ideal position to detect the presence of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) since so many of the manifestations involve facial structures.
It is interesting to note that the incidence of FAS today surpasses Down's syndrome and spina bifida. FAS is estimated to occur once in every 500 - 750 births. Since many cases go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed, it is assumed that this reported number is lower than the actual number of babies born with FAS.
FAS has no cure, but it is 100% preventable.
The terms "fetal alcohol effect" (FAE) and "alcohol-related birth defects" are used to describe individuals who exhibit only the mental/behavioral attributes (and not the physical attributes) of FAS and thus do not fulfill the overall diagnostic criteria for the syndrome.
FAS, first described in the published medical literature in 1968, refers to a myriad of physical abnormalities, most obvious in the features of the face and in the reduced weight of the newborn, and in problems of behavior and cognition, found in children born to mothers who drank heavily during pregnancy.
The costs of FAS and related conditions can be quite high—for the individual, for the family, and for society. Rates of FAS in several of the most complete studies are similar—on the order of 0.5 to 3 cases per 1,000 births. This translates into 2 to 12 thousand FAS births per year in the USA. These incidence figures emphasize the magnitude of a problem,-for the individual and for society.
FAS is caused by prenatal exposure to high levels of alcohol. FAS is not a "drunk" baby or a baby physically dependent on or addicted to alcohol. Although the manifestations of FAS might change with age, FAS never completely disappears and, as with many developmental disabilities, there is no cure.
