Choosing A Treatment For Fetal Alcohol SyndromeChoosing a suitable treatment for fetal alcohol syndrome is not that easy because one has to consider the situation calling for such treatment. For one thing the outcome of the disease is hard to change once discovered in a fetus. Secondly, a pregnant woman may have been drinking long before she realized she is with child and the disease may have set in even before consultation has been made. A woman who exhibits the symptoms of alcoholism should exercise caution before she decides to become pregnant because there are far reaching consequences not only for her, but on the health of the unborn child as well. It is difficult to determine how much alcohol a woman can take before she exposes her unborn child to the danger of fetal alcohol syndrome. At least 12 thousand American children are said to be in danger of suffering fetal alcohol syndrome each year. The term, which refers to abnormality patterns found in children whose mothers are alcohol abusers, was coined in 1973. Among the symptoms of this condition are:
Fetal alcohol syndrome is a very serious disease with a poor treatment forecast. While pregnant women can be cautioned and counseled against the continuous intake of alcohol, there is really no absolute treatment for the condition (during pregnancy) once the fetus has been inflicted with it. There is also no known treatment for fetal alcohol syndrome (for those born with the condition) and while the infant can be placed under therapy, the prognosis is poor. A child born with fetal alcohol syndrome can exhibit the symptoms of the condition for life. Some of the symptoms like heart defects can be treated through surgery and delay in speech treated with therapy but the condition as a whole has no known cure. However, doctors are in agreement that the earlier the syndrome is diagnosed and treated, the more favorable for the patient. This way, he can already be placed under close watch and made to undergo the necessary clinical and other interventions that can be of help to manage the condition. Pre-schoolers who are diagnosed with fetal alcohol syndrome are in need of
specialized care not only from their parents but also from experts. The diet
as well as the overall health of children with this condition should be regularly
monitored. On the other hand, it may be necessary to send these children to
a special school or institution that has an expertise on managing the development
of the language and fine motor skills of the patient. |