| SUBSTANCE ABUSE DURING PREGNANCY |
Can consuming alcohol or
drugs while you are pregnant harm your unborn child?The answer to that question is YES. Any foreign substance intake can result in a terminally fatal outcome. Studies show that while it has not been determined exactly how much of a negative substance a mother can consume without harming her unborn child, there is evidence to suggest that a substantial amount of alcohol or cocaine can result in the baby being born with Fetal Alcohol Effects( FAE ). The most severest of these cases result in Fetal Alcohol Syndrome ( FAS ). About 16% of pregnant women drink enough alcohol to be at risk for bearing children with some sort of negative effect. Statistics show that in the United States alone, at least 8,000 babies a year are born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Some of the most common and more visibly recognizable effects of Fetal Alcohol syndrome are:
If you are consuming even the smallest amount of drugs or alcohol while you are in the first trimester of your pregnancy, you are raising the risk of having a miscarriage before your third month. In many respects, the first three months of your pregnancy are the most crucial of all the nine months. Nine times out of ten when an infant is born addicted to any substance it is because the mother is not aware that she is pregnant until after most of the damage has been done. Some of the major birth defects include:
Those things listed above are some of the more severe results that derive from substance abuse. Some of the less severe effects are:
| ARE YOU AT RISK? |
TWEAK TEST
|
T- Tolerance: How many drinks can you hold? W- Have your friends or relatives worried or complained about your drinking in the past year? E- Eye-Opener: Do you sometimes take a drink in the morning when you first wake up? A- Amnesia: Has a friend or family member ever told you about things you said or did while you were drinking that you could not remember? K- Do you sometimes feel the need to Cut Down on you drinking? A seven-point scale is used to score this test. The tolerance question scores two points if a woman reports that she can hold more than five drinks without falling asleep or passing out. A positive response to the worry (W) scores two points, and a positive response to the the last three questions scores one point each. A score of two or more points indicates that the woman is likely to be an at-risk drinker. |
WHAT CAN YOU DO? |
A Mother-To-Be and her loved ones have very important roles in insuring
that this innocent baby gets the treatment it deserves while it is in the
womb and out in the real world. Here are some 
of the things
each member of this child's life can do to contribute.
If you are a women and plan to become pregnant, quit
drinking and doing drugs at least three months ahead of time. If you find
out you are pregnant, stop drinking and doing drugs immediately. If you
cannot stop , get help!!!
If you are the father, remember you play a huge role
in this pregnancy. It is very important that you support the mother-to-be
by not drinking or doing any sort of drugs yourself. If you must, seek treatment
with her.
Friends and family of the mother-to-be also have to
be very supportive. Educate the mother-to-be about the hazards. Help her
find the support and treatment she needs. Avoid having alcohol or drugs
at gatherings. Encourage and provide activities that are healthy for both
mother and unborn child.
| HOW TO GET HELP? |
There are many organizations that are more than willing to help in such a necessary situation as one like this, all it takes is the mother being willing to give up something for this beautiful baby she is carrying inside of her. Some of these organizations are:
|
A PREGNANT WOMEN NEVER DRINKS ALONE. |
Information taken from Amy Nevitt's book Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (1996, The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc.).