The following paper will discuss alcohol consumption in pregnancy and affects it has on a newborn. In order to provide proper care every nurse should be knowledgeable on this subject and ready to educate patients to make sure that they understand risks and consequences of drinking alcohol while pregnant.
Many women feel guilty for consuming alcohol before they knew they are pregnant, and when the pregnancy test is positive, they are afraid they may already hurt the baby since it is known that alcohol passes the placenta. Toxins from the alcohol can disturb the cell division, placement and development of the newborns organs. When cells are damaged by nicotine, drugs, or alcohol, they will stop dividing. This will produce early miscarriage which woman will experience as a late period. If fetus survives, it was probably not affected.
For many years it was believed that alcohol can affect an unborn child only after placenta and umbilical cord are fully developed. Ten to fourteen days after fertilization the egg arrives into the uterus, and nests there. In that phase there is no connection between a mother’s bloodstream and a child via umbilical cord, but while placenta is developing embryo is getting its nutrients from mother’s blood through yolk sac. The minute alcohol enters mother’s bloodstream trough her stomach and the small intestine, it will also get to the embryo by cellular processes and it will disturb the cell division.
It is wrong to believe that one glass of wine or some other alcoholic beverage will not be harmful to the baby if its organs are developed. Alcohol is harmful to the baby in every stage of the pregnancy. The fact is that the first three months are especially sensitive because organs are getting shaped and...
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...alcohol, healthcare provider can diagnose FAS. Statistics are showing that on every 1000 newborns there are 3 babies born with FAS.
When planning a pregnancy, not only mothers but also the father’s attitude toward the alcohol consumption should be addressed since it is now believed that alcohol can cause chromosomal deformities of the sperm, but more research is needed.
Assessing patient’s knowledge of the negative effects of alcohol consumption during pregnancy is most important step of a nursing process. It will lay a foundation for developing a nursing diagnosis and setting up goals with the only one outcome in mind-a healthy baby. We know now that even small amount of alcohol can cause birth defects, and for that reason patients need to be educated and aware of the negative effects alcohol will have on their baby if they chose to drink during pregnancy.
Davis, PM, TL Carr, and CB La. "Needs assessment and current practice of alcohol risk assessment of pregnant women and women of childbearing age by primary health care professionals.."Canadian Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 15.2 (2008): 214-222.Pubmed.gov. Web. 25 Nov. 2013.
A mother who drinks while she is pregnant stands a high risk of harming their unborn child because the alcohol passes through her blood to her baby, and that can harm the development of the baby’s cells. This is most likely to harm the baby’s brain and spinal cord. Many of the common effects of a child suffering from fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is: distinctive facial features, growth problems making them smaller than the average child, and learning and behavior problems.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggestion that a pregnant woman should not drink alcohol during pregnancy (Advisory on alcohol use in pregnancy 2005) has been widely criticized as being unnecessarily paternalistic, but the CDC goes further into explaining that, “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” (Advisory on alcohol use in pregnancy
The Bell Smith Personality Assessment was accurate in reflecting my personality. I have taken several personality tests because I know developing strong interpersonal skills enhances personal growth and development. Each test has delivered similar results demonstrating my willingness to work with others, need for organization, focus on emotional content, and search for additional information. According to the Bell Smith assessment, I fall into the categories of member, planner, juggler, empathizer, and researcher. I would challenge the assessment with defining me a planner because I incorporate the juggler traits into my daily activities. Overall, the assessment was not surprising and I would like to continue taking different personality tests to see diverges from previous results.
... excluded potential risk factors for preterm birth including previous pregnancies and multiple births. Thus, these results should only be applied to the risk of alcohol consumption for primiparous mothers with singleton pregnancies. However, despite the lack of risks identified in this study, alcohol use during pregnancy has been linked to disabilities. According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP, 2011), its adverse effects include fetal alcohol syndrome, learning disabilities, social ineptness, depression, and anxiety. The AACAP strongly recommends against pregnant women consuming any form of alcohol at any level. Despite the data presented by Dale et al. (2016), the question of the other risks of alcohol consumption on the fetus was not explored and thus alcohol use during pregnancy should not be condoned solely based on this study.
Women who are pregnant, but drink moderate amounts of alcohol still pose many dangerous threats to their unborn child. A fetal alcohol effect is one of them, with slight deformities, mental retardation, and learning disabilities. Fetal alcohol effected children not only have physical differences from normal children, but also suffer with psychiatric problems and at more apt to get in trouble with the law. Pregnant women who drink not only run the risk of having a baby with fetal alcohol syndrome, but of having a child with alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder. Alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder occurs when children have prenatal exposure to alcohol. These babies have cognitive and behavioral problems that are alcohol-related, without the severe facial or growth deformities babies with fetal alcohol syndrome have. Pregnant women who drink expose their baby to teratogen ethanol- the active ingredient in alcohol. The fetus exposure is longer and more intense compared to the mother who is able to metabolize the teratogen ethanol.
“Can I consume even a miniscule amount of alcohol?” a common, yet preposterous question asked by numerous pregnant women. The common answer given by doctors is yes, you may. Many women don’t know, but according to nofas.org, women who drink as little as two glasses of wine per day can adversely affect their offspring’s effectiveness at school. According to the Institute of Medicine 1996, “Of all the substances of abuse (including heroin, cocaine,and marijuana), alcohol by far produces the most neurobehavioral effects in the fetus”. Fetal alcohol syndrome is a possible outcome of drinking while pregnant. This horrid disease can cause aberrant facial characteristics, growth deficits, brain damage that results in mental retardation, hyperactivity,
The intake of drugs and alcohol during pregnancy can cause many different birth defects. Drugs and alcohol can easily reach the baby while inside the mother. When a pregnant woman consumes a drug or some alcohol it enters into her bloodstream, then makes its way to the placenta. When it reaches the placenta it travels through the umbilical cord to the baby’s body (Schniderman pg. 27). Once it reaches the bay it can cause a lot of different problems. Drinking alcohol can cause the baby to be born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. If too much alcohol gets into the baby’s bloodstream the baby will most likely have FAS. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome can affect an infant after it is born or even later on in life. Kids with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome can be impulsive at times, and they tend to not learn from their own mistakes and behavior unlike other children (Stewart pg. 47). Having a child with FAS could be very hard. They have difficulties trying to learn certain things. Learning from mistakes make life so much easier, and having a child who cannot do that could be very stressful. Many people put the...
There are five types of typical intervention for FAS patients (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome [Wikipedia entry]. (n.d) Retrieved December 1,...
In conclusion, the harmful effects of medications, alcohol and illicit drugs can be very dangerous to the health and development of a fetus during pregnancy. It is important to educate new mothers on the adverse effects that are associated with the use of these substances. With the right counselling and information provided, we can continue to keep newborns safe in the womb and be able to give them a chance at a healthy and painless future.
“I brought you into this world, and I can take you out!” A child has most likely heard that phrase at some point in their life. Although, it is not ethical or legal for a mother to “take her kid out of this world”, it does bring up a good point that it was through her body, that the child was born. One of the most important responsibilities in this world is a mother carrying a child in the womb. There are many divine processes that take place during gestation, but there are also many contributing factors from the mother that can affect the developing human. These factors may include what a woman ingests and exposes her embryo or fetus to. Sadly, alcohol use during pregnancy is an ongoing problem that can have detrimental affects on the fetus, including Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). Choosing to drink alcoholic beverages during pregnancy is a choice, a risky choice. Unfortunately some women don’t even know they are making a risky choice by consuming alcohol because it is in the early stages of pregnancy. It is common for a female to not find out they are pregnant until at least the fifth or sixth week after fertilization. In 2006, 49% of all pregnancies in the United States were reported unintended on a national survey.1 The highest rate of preventable birth defects and mental retardation is due to alcohol use.2 In this paper, I will further discuss FAS, the potential effects of binge drinking during the embryonic stage of gestation, and what actions need to be taken in order to reduce the incidences of alcohol related birth defects.
Remember Augie the kid from wonder, the kid who was different from others as we remember he had a facial disease that gave him low self-confidence. There are many face disorders/Diseases, but there is a special one called Treacher Collins syndrome. This syndrome has many affects like hearing loss, vision problems, as well as an abnormal face. It is a genetic issue that affects but apart from this these kids have to face and even more deadly problem, dealing with emotions. Some kids who have this rare type of disorder. But does this syndrome actually affect kids’ emotion along with the face? While this disorder affects the child's facial appearance and gives them poor hearing, it also affects the child emotionally.
Individuals with FAS have difficulties with learning, attention, memory, and problem solving. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) is an umbrella term describing the range of effects that can occur in an individual whose mother drank alcohol during pregnancy. These effects may include physical, mental, behavioral, and/or learning disabilities with possible lifelong implications. The term FASD is not intended for use as a clinical diagnosis. FASD covers other terms such as: Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) - the only diagnosis given by doctors. Alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder (ARND) - reserved for individuals with functional or cognitive impairments linked to prenatal alcohol exposure, including decreased head size at birth, structural brain abnormalities, and a pattern of behavioral and mental abnormalities Alcohol-related birth defects (ARBD) - describes the physical defects linked to prenatal alcohol exposure, including heart, skeletal, kidney, ear, and eye malformations Fetal alcohol effects (FAE) - a term that has been popularly used to describe alcohol-exposed individuals whose condition does not meet the full criteria for an FAS diagnosis What are the Statistics and Facts about FAS and FASD? FASD is...
Is everyone in this world not aiming for a good job? Human beings start their life by learning how to walk and talk, and then the next stage of their life is getting education which is a long path. In the end their aim is a good job with a good financial security, and of course everyone has to try their best in their jobs. For example a mother’s job is to discipline her children, and much more which cannot be explained in one essay and of course she would want her children to prosper and become accomplished in their lives and be happy, that is why she tries her best in her job. A pilot who flies a plane with hundreds of humans in it and has to finish their job in the best way they can, to ensure the safety of his passengers. And doctors who treat thousands of people and has many people’s lives under their hands, that is why they have to be careful not to mar. Both Hag Ali’s and Mayfield’s articles had personal stories that conveyed their belief but Mayfield’s article was more organized and more appealing, it had an outstanding personal story that really attracts readers to it and she even stated how she was impacted by her belief which was not available in Hag Ali’s article.
Children can be effected by their caregiver’s alcohol and substance abuse in numerous ways. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is a pattern of birth defects caused by maternal consumption of alcohol during pregnancy. Children born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome tend to have physical abnormalities such as deformed facial characteristics. They are generally born with a variety of emotional and/or intellectual limitations. It is very common for these children to...