Negative Effects Of Alcohol Abuse On Children

In 2014 more than 16.3 million adults suffered from the debilitating disease of alcoholism. The rates of alcohol abuse and deaths caused by alcohol have continued to rise over the past thirty-five years. In fact, when only comparing statistics from 2002 and 2014, alcohol related deaths had increased by 35%, which equates to roughly 30,722 fatalities. (Ingraham) Alcoholism is a disease that not only affects the sufferer, but also has consequences for children and family members of the alcoholic as well. These consequences can span over an entire lifetime, and they can continue to create countless challenges for the children of alcoholics. As a child of two very serious alcoholics, this topic is deeply person to me. In this research paper …show more content…
As recent as ten years ago, 1 out of every 25 women admitted to drinking while pregnant. Those poor parental decisions result in a child being born with something called Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. (Floyd, O'Connor and Sokol 1059) Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is obvious to doctors after birth by three major things: physical deformities (especially in the face), being born underweight (specifically being at or below the 10th percentile), and by the child having weaknesses in their brain. (Floyd, O'Connor and Sokol 1061) The third quality is especially troubling because it is harder to overcome and it is what typically holds these children back from excelling and living normal lives. We will cover this more in depth in future sections of this paper, but those brain weaknesses lead to children having improper motor function, hyperactivity, an inability to pay attention, problems adapting to social situations, and difficulties with language. (Floyd, O'Connor and Sokol …show more content…
Recognition of these traits is vital to helping her staying sober during her pregnancy (and after). Without early detection of this problem, it can be too late for the