Drinking any kind of alcohol during pregnancy can damage a fetus and cause fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). Children with FAS can have physical, mental, and behavior problems. Whenever alcohol is consumed it gets into the blood system. If a pregnant women drinks alcohol, it passes from her blood system to her unborn baby through the umbilical cord. Drinking alcohol during the first stages of pregnancy can cause facial and other physical defects in the fetus. Drinking at anytime during the pregnancy carries a very high risk that the fetus will suffer stunted growth and harm to the brain. No type of alcoholic beverage is safe for a pregnant woman: beer, wine, hard liquor, any type at all.

Babies with FAS are usually born underweight. Throughout their lives they can have trouble with problem solving, learning, memory, and attention. It is possible they will have hearing difficulties, speech disorders, and be impulsive. FAS affects coordination, also.

No cure for FAS has yet been found. Children will not outgrow it. Adults with FAS more often than not have great difficulty keeping a job, staying in relationships. They often end up with legal difficulties, or in jail.

Sometimes children of mothers who drank alcohol during pregnancy do not display all the effects of FAS. They may have one or more symptoms, but not all, referred to as fetal alcohol effects (FAE). Those who display either physical, mental, behavioral, and/or learning disabilities are said to have fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). No cure is available for people with FASD.

Other names for alcohol related defects are: Alcohol related birth defects (ARBD). Children may have defects affecting the heart, face, brain, eyes, or limbs.
Alcohol related neurodevelopmental disorder (ARND). These children may have brain damage causing milder symptoms of FAS or FASD.

Common Problems for FAS Victims:

• Abnormal facial features such as flat cheeks, short noses, very thin upper lips, or short eye openings.
• Learning and behavior problems
• Brain damage, possible mental retardation
• Undersized and unusually short

There is no cure for any of the above syndromes. But many of the symptoms can be treated. Eye glasses help with vision. Hearing aids help with hearing. Special services, some through the educational system, some not, are available to help children learn to live on their own as adults. Not all can be helped to a point where they can live an independent life.

Not all children of mothers who drank alcohol during pregnancy will suffer with FAS or any of the others, but why risk it? FAS and the other syndromes mentioned are not curable. They are a lifelong sentence.

Do not drink any alcohol when you are pregnant. If you plan on getting pregnant, or if there is a chance that you may become pregnant, don’t drink.

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(Also known as ‘crib death’)

SIDS is the sudden, unexplained death of an infant less than one year old. Most SIDS occur between the ages of 2 to 4 months, and is the leading cause of death in children from 1 month to the age of one year. Most SIDS occur at less than 6 months old. There are about 2,500 SIDS deaths a year in the United States.

Reducing the Risk of SIDS

There has yet to be a confirmed cause for SIDS. However, there are a few things you can do to reduce the risk:

• Always put your baby on his/her back to sleep. This is the number one risk reducer.
• Always put you baby on his/her back to sleep, during the night and for naps. This warrants repeating. Baby’s who are put on their stomachs to nap on at VERY high risk for SIDS.
• Use only firm surfaces for your baby to sleep on. Do not use a pillow, sheepskin, quilt, or soft surface. Use a safety approved crib mattress and a fitted sheet.
• Keep all items away from your baby’s face. This includes blankets, pillows, stuffed toys, fluffy bumper pads. Dress your baby in clothing to keep him/her comfortable without using a blanket. If you must use a blanket, make sure it is tucked into the bottom of the crib and pulled up no higher than baby’s chest.
• Avoid letting your baby overheat during sleep. Keep the room at a temperature that you, as an adult, are comfortable with. You do not need to overheat a room for a baby.
• NO smoking around your baby. If there is a smoker, have them go outside to smoke.
• If you use a pacifier, make it a clean, dry one and do not force your baby to take it. If you are breast feeding, wait at least 1 month before offering a pacifier.
• Make sure you inform anyone caring for your baby about these precautions.

Babies At Risk for SIDS

• African-American babies are more than 2 times more likely to die of SIDS than white babies.
• American Indian/Alaska Native babies are 3 times more likely to die of SIDS than white babies.
• Babies who are placed on their stomachs or sides are more likely to die of SIDS.

Flat Spots on Baby’s Head

Once your baby learns to sit up, any flat spots created by back sleeping will go away. Here are some ways to reduce the chance of flat spots:

• Tummy Time – When someone is watching, put your baby on his/her tummy to play. This will also strengthen baby’s neck, head, and shoulder muscles. Make sure there is someone watching.
• Switch the direction that your baby faces in the crib from week to week, so he/she is not always laying on the same part of the head.
• Avoid too much time in car seats, bounce chairs, and carriers. Hold your baby upright often during the day.

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Premature labor (another name for preterm labor) is labor that begins before the 37th week of pregnancy. A doctor will often take steps to try to stop the labor as the risk to the baby’s survival is high at this point. Premature birth occurs about 12% of the time and is the number one cause of infant deaths in the United States.

Who is at risk of going into preterm labor and having a preterm birth?

There is no way to predict which women will experience preterm labor or premature birth, but here are some factors that may be involved in having preterm labor and birth:

• Trichomoniasis (an infection)
• Bacterial vaginosis (an infection)
• Shortened cervix
• Previous premature labor or birth

Risks of Preterm Birth to the Baby

• Low birth weight
• Underdeveloped organs
• Under developed lungs, breathing problems
• Greater risk for cerebral palsy (CP)
• Greater risk for learning disabilities
• Greater risk for developmental disabilities
• Greater risk for serious infections

Preventing Preterm Delivery

Unfortunately, these preventions are not effective most of the time, but because they are helpful some of the time, these are some methods for prevention:

• Treating high risk women with progesterone
• Bed rest
• Medications

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Unlike a miscarriage, a stillbirth is the loss of a pregnancy by natural causes occurring after the 20th week of pregnancy. Stillbirth can happen before or during delivery. Statistically, one in every 200 pregnancies end with a stillbirth.

What are the signs of a stillbirth?

In some cases, the mother will notice lack of movement with the fetus. If the doctor cannot locate a heartbeat, he/she can perform an ultrasound to determine the health of the baby. It is not always possible to determine why the baby has died, but an autopsy of baby and placenta can sometimes render a cause.

What are the causes of a stillbirth?

It is not always possible to determine the cause of a stillbirth. In fact, in nearly half the stillbirths, no reason can be found. Some known reasons are:

• Chromosomal abnormalities with the fetus as a result of egg or sperm imperfections
• Fetuses that do not continue to grow
• Problems with the placenta
• Bacterial infections
• Some physical problem with the fetus that does not allow it to flourish

What are procedures following a stillbirth?

• A woman will normally go into labor within two weeks following the death of the fetus. If not, labor is induced or a c-section will be performed.
• Depending on individual circumstances, the fetus may necessarily be delivered immediately after discovering its death.
• In some cases, the woman may be able to decide when to deliver

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• Spina Bifida is damage to the spinal cord because the tube that forms the cord does not close properly. Spina bifida causes nerve paralysis below the affected area on the spine. Patients can lack bladder and bowel control, as well as difficulty walking, because of pressure on the brain. Spina bifida can be fatal.
• Anencephaly is an even more serious neural tube defect. Because much of the brain is under developed, babies with anencephaly are stillborn or die shortly after birth.

Prevention

Most neural tube defects can be prevented by folic acid intake. The pregnant woman must get enough folic acid (folate) before and during pregnancy. The recommendation is 400 micrograms of folic acid each day. All women of childbearing age should heed this advice. The neural tube develops in the first four weeks of pregnancy. Folic acid is available in many foods, multivitamins, and folic acid pills. Check with your pharmacist or doctor.

Treatment

Some mild versions of spina bifida need minimal treatment; while more severe cases will require surgery. Physical therapy may also help a child walk, sometimes with assistance from walkers or leg braces.

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Developmental disabilities are birth defects. A single body part, an entire system, or multiple systems can be affected. They are also known as functional birth defects.

Different Types of Developmental Disabilities

Nervous System Disabilities

The nervous system includes the brain, the vertebrates, spinal cord, ganglia, nerves, and nerve centers. A developmental problem in these areas impacts learning and intelligence such as:

• Language difficulties
• Behavioral problems
• Speech problems
• Motor skills
• Convulsions

Some common nervous system disabilities are:

• Mental retardation is a term used to describe a particular range of scores on an IQ (intelligence quota) test. Downs Syndrome is an example of retardation. There are a set of characteristics related to having an extra copy of Chromosome 21. One of the symptoms of Downs Syndrome is mental retardation, and early mental decline. Those with Downs Syndrome often have heart defects also. However, modern treatments are going a long way to help sufferers live healthy and productive lives.
• Fragile X Syndrome is caused by a defect in a specific part of the Fragile X Mental Retardation-1gene. This causes the body to produce low amounts or none of a certain protein. Normal brain development depends on this particular protein.
• Autism Spectrum Disorder is a term that encompasses a range of problems affecting intelligence, communications skills, and social skills. People diagnosed with autism can have symptoms rated from mild to very severe.

Sensory-Related Developmental Disabilities

Sensory related problems are often an important part of complex birth defect problems. A child whose mother had rubella or German measles while pregnant can have congenital rubella. They are likely to have cataracts of the eyes and be deaf. Children with Williams Syndrome have trouble seeing spacial relationships between objects around them. Those who suffer with Fragile X Syndrome are extremely sensitive to noise, and may have sudden outbursts in reaction to sounds around them.

Metabolic Disorders

Two commonly known metabolic disorders are:

• Phenylketonuria (fee-nill-kee-toe-NERR-ee-uh) also known as PKU, is one that is tested for immediately after birth. It is a condition with a specific enzyme problem. A dietary therapy has been developed that helps balance the amount of this enzyme in the body, which has eliminated mental retardation in people with PKU. The diet needs to be followed throughout life and pregnant women particularly as they can pass PKU on to their children.
• Hypothyroidism (high-poe-THIGH-roid-ism) is a hormonal condition that can cause mental retardation in the baby if the mother goes untreated. A hormone is made from a chemical signal created by the thyroid. Hormones are required to regulate many functions in the body, including puberty and pregnancy. A mother lacking enough thyroid hormones can give birth to a baby with mental retardation. Treatments aimed at getting the thyroid level normal can prevent retardation in many cases. That is why early diagnosis is extremely important. Research has shown that children who are born with hypothyroidism can also be treated with a thyroid hormone to prevent many of the long term effects of this condition.

Degenerative Disorders

Some degenerative disorders are a result of metabolic disorders. Children born with
degenerative disorders can appear normal at birth, but symptoms appear as they grow a little older. Degenerative order can cause mental, physical, and sensory problems. Early onset X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (X-LD) develops in boys at age 4 to 8. At that point, they begin to lose brain and nervous system function. Eventually, boys with X-ALD lose so much of their brain function that they appear to be in a ‘frozen’ state. They are unable to communicate or move.

Rett Syndrome is a degenerative disorder that affects girls. This disorder is often caused by a specific genetic disorder.

Early detection of these problems is of utmost importance. Detection is focused on screening techniques, and then therapies that may relieve the symptoms. Research is underway to find the cellular mechanisms or genetic markers for these conditions.

Treatments for Developmental Disabilities

Although many developmental disabilities are incurable, there are treatments that can make life more functional. Therapy of various kinds, dietary regimes, and exercises, along with medications are available, and they are making a big difference in the lives of those who live with developmental disabilities.

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