NICUS University of Stellenbosch - Fetal Alcohol Syndrome：新生儿重症监护病房斯坦陵布什大学-胎儿酒精综合征.pdfVIP

FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME ALCOHOL: POISON FOR YOUR UNBORN BABY The good news is that FAS is 100% preventable; the bad news is that it’s 100% irreversible The information explosion in the science of nutrition very often creates the impression that available information is contradictory. Consequently, it is no longer easy to distinguish between fact, misinformation and fiction. The Nutrition Information Centre of the University of Stellenbosch (NICUS) was established to act as a reliable and independent source of nutrition information. WHAT IS FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME? Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is a birth defect caused by heavy alcohol consumption (usually in a binge pattern) during pregnancy. It is characterised by growth retardation, facial and neural abnormalities as well as malformations of other organ systems. Maternal risk for giving birth to a child with FAS is known to vary substantially by population and that the risk also varies between individuals. Alcohol and its primary metabolite, acetaldehyde, are known tissue toxins which may interfere directly with cellular growth and metabolism. When a pregnant woman consumes alcohol, it is carried to all her organs and tissues including the placenta. The placenta functions to protect the fetus and provides nourishment from the mother to the fetus. Alcohol is able to cross the placental membrane and is then transported directly to all developing tissues of the fetus. These adverse effects of alcohol on the developing fetus are characterised by an array of disorders, termed Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). They include structural anomalies as well as behavioural and neuro-cognitive disabilities. Children at the severe end of the spectrum ar