FREE ESSAY ON FAS SYNDROME

FAS SYNDROME

Now of course with the holidays coming up everyone knows to drink and behave responsibly.
Everyone including the young mothers who are carrying children. They know all about the
physical and cognitive effects that a drink may have on their fetus. According to health
surveys 19 percent of 4 million mothers used some form of alcohol in their prenatal
phase, in 1992. And this number is continually increasing, making Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
one of the leading causes of birth defects in the United States (Nockels ,1997).
Anticonvulsants are drugs taken by women during pregnancy. This drug is used to treat
epilepsy. The teratogenic effects of this drug are hazardous for the fetus. 
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One author says: "Associations with neural tube defects and facial clefts are well
recognized, but congenital abnormalities alone are a crude indicator of teratogenicity"
(Streissguth, A.,1997). There is also the risk of educational impairment that will be
displayed later in childhood. Many women make the mistakes of taking anti -convulsants,
prescribed by their physician, while they are seizure-free. 
Khattak states that: "Occupational exposure to organic solvents during pregnancy is
associated with an increased risk of major fetal deformations" (Sohail Khattak, 1999).
The controlled study that was performed shows that women experience teratogenic effects
when they were exposed to organic solvents. The fetuses from mothers that were exposed to
this solvent resulted with major congenital deformations. The percentage of the newborns
with abnormalities was 95%. The women were at higher risks if they worked in the health
care industry or in textile and the clothing industries. These solvents resulted in
central nervous system defects in mice, congenital malformation in rabbits and the
retardation of skeletal growth in rats. The dosage used in the lab was high and from a
single agent which creates a controversy. Because women in their work environment may
inhale a variety of agents in lower doses. (Battaglia, 1996) 
One authors states: "Evidence suggests that premature infants exposed to cocaine before
birth may be at risk for later developmental difficulties. Prematurity has been related
with prenatal exposure." (Abel, 1996.). The newborns whose mothers were exposed in the
prenatal stage to cocaine showed a variety of symptoms. Their head was smaller, they had
irregular sleeping patterns, were more depressed and spent more time in 
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the intensive neonatal care unit. The babies had also lower norepinepherine, dopamine and
cortisol levels. These infants also spent less time sleeping peacefully. They were more
irritated and agitated. They scored lower than regular infants on the Brazelton Behavior
Assessment Scale. Infants also were less responsive to the stimuli in their environment
and interacted less with other infants and their parents. Also these infants had
defficiencies in motor development. The babies showed less eye to hand coordination
abilities than other children 2 years of age. ( Abel, 1996). The infants that were
exposed to cocaine in the prenatal stage were born with retarded growth, a small head and
neurological abnormalities. (du Florey, D., 1992). 
After the study was concluded the most negative results were in the group with the most
exposure of cocaine. The future of the growth and mental retardation problem is uncertain
but monitoring needs to be taken seriously by future parents so these cases can be
avoided. (Polygenis, D., 1998)
According to Streissguth: "DES is a hormone that was prescribed by doctors for pregnant
women in the 1950s and early 1960s. Years later doctors discovered that the daughters of
the women who received DES were at high risk for infertility, premature labor, and cancer
of the vagina and cervix." (Streissguth, A. 1994). Several chemical companies believed
that DES would be able to prevent miscarriages. This a hormone similar to estrogen. Only
10 years doctors experienced a whole gamut of symptoms. The symptoms ranged from
infertility to cancer of the cervix and vagina. The women who show these symptoms must
have been exposed to DES 18 weeks before birth. So form this researchers conclude that
the exposure occurred 4-5 months after 
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conceptions. At this time the vagina and other reproductive organs formed so this hormone
must have influenced their development. These women now receive pap smear exams and
pelvic exams once every year. In colposcopy the doctor views the tissue of the vagina and
cervix through a magnifying lens. This is an optimal procedure because abnormal cancer
cells can be detected. (Goodlett, 1992) 
Wilkie suggests that: "Prenatal maternal smoking may represent an additional risk factor
for adult criminal outcomes. Maternal prenatal smoking was particularly related to
persistent criminal behavior rather than to arrests confined to adolescence." (Wilkie,
1997) The researchers kept track of the offspring from the mothers. Then at the age of 34
they checked all of the offspring's criminal records and their social status (marriage,
friends). The researchers found that there was a correlation between the mothers who
smoked during their pregnancy and their children who had criminal records. Maternal
prenatal smoking has been linked with many other behaviors, such as impulsivity, truancy,
conduct disorder, attentional difficulties, chronic ischemia, hypoxia, hypertonicity,
increased tremors, and increased startle response in infants. So that researchers
conclude a possible link between maternal smoking and central nervous system deficits.
(Wilkie, 1997)
Another teratogen that is being researched is thalidomide. This chemical has caused birth
defects in Europe. Now they are hoping to cure erythema nodosum leprosum, AIDS, skin
inflammations, ulcers and organ rejection after the transplant is performed. Thalidomide
stops the development of the blood vessels in the fetus while at the same 
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time it controls the immune system and shows anti-inflammatory properties. Some of the
symptoms seen in infants are nerve disorders, sedation and constipations. It is still
being researched about its curing abilities but it still presents great teratogenic risks
for the fetus. (Barr, 1999) 
Johnson states that: "Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is a group of birth (congenital)
defects occuring in an infant as a result of maternal alcohol abuse during pregnancy."
(Johnson, 1997) This disease is the leading cause of mental defects in the western world.
And the worst is that it is not curable. The neurological abnormalities include mental
retardation, IQ of 63(average), a small head, motor retardation and hearing disturbances.
The facial abnormalities are small eyes, small eye openings and abnormal lips. These
infants have growth defects, have small size and weigh less. Attention deficit disorder
and hyperactivity are some of the behavioral disturbances. Cardiac and circulatory system
defects are also present at birth in these infants. The quantity of alcohol that causes
FAS is not clear but cases have been reported where binge drinking has been the major
factor. (Johnson, 1997)
Doctors in California are considering the case if the birth defects of a baby were cause
from tamoxifen. Tamoxifen is usually used to treat breast cancer and is anti-estrogen.
According to Henderson: "Children of pregnant women taking breast cancer drug, tamoxifen
may be prone to hermaphrodite birth defects." In another case the infants genitalia were
abnormal. There is no sure evidence that tamoxifen causes birth defects. The company's
representative says that the label on the medication prohibits distribution 
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to pregnant women. There have only been few cases where birth defects have occurred.
(Henderson, 1997.)
Walling writes that: "The use of doxycycline during pregnancy is strictly prohibited."
(Walling, 1997) But in some cases this drug is needed to treat maternal 
infections. In this case this teratogen has led to the termination of pregnancy after
exposure of the fetus to it. The percentage of congenital abnormalities is 90% in
Hungary. It is not safe to say that doxycycline causes birth defects because the
registries in Hungary prove this. Researchers believe that this drug may have a strong
effect when taken during the formation of the organs. It has small teratogenic risks and
it prohibited for use during pregnancy in the U.S.
Harvey and Koch state that: "Untreated maternal phenylketonuria increases risks for
developmental problems in offspring." (Harvey, Koch, 2000.) In the offpring of women with
PKU there is a 92% risk for mental retardation, 73% risk for microcephaly, 40% risk for
low birth weight and 12% risk for congenital heart defect. It is clear that the abnormal
uterine environment harms the fetus. A diet poor in phenylalanine reduced these risks.
The delayed metabolic control in maternal PKU causes serious developmental and cognitive
problems. The safest precaution is that women achieve their metabolic control before
pregnancy. If the disease progresses the child will have less language, memory and
quantitative skills while their motor and behavioral abilities are less influenced.
Children that have exhibit autistic and self-abusive features in basically cognition and
mental processing. According to Plotkin and Katz: "During the epidemic an expanded 
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congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) involved cataracts, cardiac abnormalities, deafness,
encephalitis, wasting, hepatitis, pneumonia and endocrinopathies. (Plotkin, Katz, 1999)
CRS is an important cause of child birth abnormalities in developing countries. Some of
the symptoms of this disease are congenital heart disease and cataracts. If a mass
vaccination would be accomplished then millions of premature deaths could be avoided.
(Plotkin, Katz, 2000) 
Prenatal development consists of three stages,zygote, embryonic and fetal stage. It the
sperm is really lucky it will get inside the egg and form the zygote. Here is when
conception begins. Only half of these fertilized eggs survive. Then cells begin to
replicate from two  four  eight  16  100. When one
hundred cells is reached then each cell begins to do a separate function, it
differentiates. Each cell has its own job now. Some cells will create the heart, some
will assemble the brain. After 10 days the cells get attached to the uterine wall and
will stay there for around 37 weeks. The placenta is formed and it attaches to the
uterine wall so nourishment can be transferred. From 2-8 weeks it is called an embryo.
Organo genesis starts to occur. The heart is functional now. At this time the sex gets
established. The y chromosome will influence maleness in the embryo. After 9 weeks until
birth the embryo is called a fetus. It stays in the uterus the remaining time so that it
can adapt to life once it leaves the uterus. Babies are connected to their mother's
habits, gestures and especially voice. That is the one thing they prefer the most.
(Volkhardt, 1996)
Teratogens and prenatal development are connected directly to each other. Teratogens 
are especially damaging and lethal in the prenatal stage. Different screening and exams 
are necessary to insure that children will be born normal and with the least
complications. 
One of these screenings is ultra sound. The physician uses sound waves in a noninvasive 
procedure to view the fetus in a computer screen for any abnormalities. (Campbell, 
Reece, Mitchell, p. 257) 
Bibliography
http://site.health-center.com/brain/schiz/
VA-Yale Schizophrenia Biological Research Center 
http://www.nami.org/disorder/disord8.htm
http://www.nsf.org.uk/
http://www.noah.cuny.edu:8080/illness/cancer/cancercare/patients/schiz1.html
Biology of Schizophrenia and Affective Disease 
Stanley J. Watson(Editor), Association for Research in Nervous and ment 1996 
Case Studies in Schizophrenia : Based on the Readings of Edgar Cayce 
David, M.A. McMillin / Published 1997 
Experiences of Schizophrenia : An Integration of the Personal, Scientific, and
Therapeutic 
Michael, M.D. Robbins 1999