Essay On Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Imagine having absolutely no control over a decision that would affect your entire future. People with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome experienced just that. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is a congenital syndrome caused by excessive consumption of alcohol by the mother during pregnancy, characterized by retardation of mental development and of physical growth, particularly of the skull and face of the infant. However, people can be effected by their mother’s prenatal alcohol consumption without having Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Alcohol-related birth defects and alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorders are both factors that contribute to Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.
Readers might ask themselves, how exactly does a child develop Fetal Alcohol Syndrome? First of all, a mother drinks alcohol which is then absorbed into the bloodstream. The alcohol that is present in the bloodstream then gets passed on through the placenta to the baby. Shockingly enough, the baby absorbs the same amount of alcohol as the mother. With this being said, it may come as no surprise that there is not a kind of alcohol that is safe to drink while pregnant. The key word in that phrase is “safe”. Some mothers may admit that they drank during a pregnancy, and their baby turned out fine. Every pregnancy is different. …show more content…
The literal definition of mental retardation is a condition diagnosed before age 18, usually in infancy or prior to birth, that includes below-average general intellectual function, and a lack of the skills necessary for daily living. People that live with mental retardation face many more difficulties than the average human being. These unfortunate people typically have a harder time communicating. Furthermore, this may affect the amount of time it takes to learn to walk, speak, and tend to their personal needs. It is truly unfair that a mother’s decision to drink might influence a child’s entire life and