Summit addresses Fetal Alcohol Spectrum
16-Sep-08 |
RENO – Fetal Alcohol Spectrum is the most severe disorder resulting from prenatal alcohol use and 12.7 percent of women in Nevada of childbearing age reported binge drinking during the previous month.
Binge drinking is defined as having three or more alcohol drinks at one time or seven or more drinks in a week. Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can greatly increase the risk of alcohol-related damages to their babies.
FAS is the most common non-genetic cause of mental retardation. Alcohol contributes to pre-term birth, low birth weight and infant mortality. Alcohol also affects the development of skeletal structures, organs, the central nervous system, as well as overall growth.
The Nevada Public Health Foundation, Nevada State Health Division’s Perinatal Substance Abuse Prevention Program and March of Dimes Nevada Chapter will be presenting “Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders/Health Babies and Children Summit.
The summit will be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Sept. 19 at the Gold Dust West Hotel and Casino, Hwy. 50 E. in Carson City.
Presentations made by national and state experts, include:
Ira Chasnoff, one of the nation’s leading experts in the field of maternal drug use during pregnancy and the effects on the newborn infant and child.
Cheryl Pratt, a developmental psychologist and infant mental health specialist.
Dan Dubovsky, FASD specialist and trainer for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
Susan Doctor, instructor for the Center for the Application of Substance Abuse Technologies with the University of Nevada, Reno.
|
|
U.S. Surgeon General Advisory on Alcohol Use in Pregnancy |
|
v Alcohol consumed during pregnancy increases the risk of alcohol-related birth defects, including growth deficiencies, facial abnormalities, central nervous system impairment, behavioral disorders, and impaired intellectual development. |
|
v No amount of alcohol consumption can be considered safe during pregnancy. |
|
v Alcohol can damage a fetus at any stage of pregnancy. Damage can occur in the earliest weeks of pregnancy, even before a woman knows that she is pregnant. |
|
v The cognitive deficits and behavioral problems resulting from prenatal alcohol exposure are life long. |
|
Alcohol-related birth defects are completely preventable. |
|
For these reasons: |
|
v A pregnant woman should not drink alcohol during pregnancy. |
|
v A pregnant woman who has already consumed alcohol during her pregnancy should stop in order to minimize further risk. |
|
v A woman who is considering becoming pregnant should abstain from alcohol. |
|
v Recognizing that nearly half of all births in the United States are unplanned, women of childbearing age should consult their physician and take steps to reduce the possibility of prenatal alcohol exposure. |
|
v Health professionals should inquire routinely about alcohol consumption by women of childbearing age, inform them of the risks of alcohol consumption during pregnancy, and advise them not to drink alcoholic beverages during pregnancy. | |
 |
|
|
|
|
Donating is easy online, by phone or mail / fax.
|
|
|
