Fetal Alcohol Syndrome — The Biological Basis Courtesy of: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) 5635 Fishers Lane, MSC 9304 Bethesda, MD 20892-9304 Over 375000 newborn babies have been exposed to drugs in utero. The film promotes zero tolerance for alcohol, tobacco, marijuana and drugs for all pregnant women. The purpose of the video is to promote awareness of the problem among teenagers who are at risk for both unplanned pregnancy and substance use. This gripping film take a serious, no-holds-barred look at what happens when pregnant women use alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. The film includes an examination of prenatal drug and alcohol abuse, fetal alcohol syndrome, nicotine’s effect on unborn babies, risks for AIDS, SIDS and FAS, drug effects at various stages of pregnancy, how drugs affect unborn babies and other relation social and emotional problems. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) and a spectrum of associated disorders, sometimes called Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD), is a permanent birth defect caused by maternal consumption of alcohol during pregnancy. The term fetal alcohol effects (FAE) or alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder (ARND) is applied to children whose mothers are known to have drunk heavily during pregnancy and who exhibit some, but not all, features of alcohol-related facial malformation. FASD is the leading cause of mental retardation in the Western world and is entirely preventable. It has been estimated that …

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