International Foetal Alcohol Syndrome Day

Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is a condition in which a child is affected by exposure to alcohol during the mother’s pregnancy. Alcohol enters the pregnant woman’s bloodstream and crosses the placenta to the baby. A baby’s body doesn’t break down alcohol as quickly as the mother’s does, so what may seem like a small amount to her can harm the unborn child.

Alcohol interferes with the delivery of oxygen and nutrition, and the result can include damage to the brain, tissues and organs, as well as growth and development issues. These physical defects are not reversible. The degree to which a child is affected depends on the amount of exposure.