Alcoholic fetal syndrome threatens constant

• April 26, 2024

The woman who drinks during pregnancy puts in risk the life of his son. Alcohol circulates in the blood of the mother and has the ability to cross the placenta, which causes the body of the fetus come into contact with the substance and decomposition occurs more slowly than in the body of an adult.

Recognized by the National Admissions Center, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, also called SAF, originates during pregnancy and its effects last lifetime . Adults, adolescents, young people and children with this syndrome maintain different degrees of physical and psychological problems that often complicate their independent life.

The presence of alcohol can alter the nutrition of fetal tissues and organs, and even damage brain cells (depending on the trimester of the pregnancy). The individual susceptibility of the fetus also influences the absence of a "safe" amount of alcohol consumption during pregnancy.

Among the main consequences of OSS are: - Increased risk of spontaneous abortion. - Low weight of the fetus at birth. - Congenital malformations (cardiovascular, cleft lip and skull-facial abnormalities). - Problems eating, sleeping, hearing or seeing. - Difficulty to follow instructions. - Impediments to interact with other people and control their own behavior.

Diagnosis

If the mother does not tell her gynecologist about alcohol intake, the doctor may suspect the condition with an ultrasound image showing intrauterine growth retardation.

To diagnose a patient, a minor with problems derived from the SAF, the specialist will have to confirm at least two of three points:

1) Growth lower than normal, before and after delivery. 2) Problems in the nervous system. 3) Facial abnormalities.

Prevention

The Syndrome of Fetal Alcoholism can be avoided completely, while the mother avoids any type of alcoholic intake during the pregnancy.

Primary prevention: make the general population aware that alcohol consumption, during pregnancy, can trigger dangerous factors for the fetus and its development as an individual.

Secondary prevention: alcoholic women must use all methods of effective contraception and discontinue the consumption of intoxicating beverages before planning a pregnancy.