Essays on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

In the article Streissguth introduced fetal alcohol syndrome and reviewed literature relevant to the problem in order to explore effects of pregnant mothers’ alcohol consumption on their children’s development. Then she gave supportive evidence of the effects by revealing animal models of research. Next, she focused on delay or impaired functioning and disclosed mental handicaps as the most detrimental effect. Furthermore, the researcher revealed remediation interventions to deal with fetal alcohol syndrome and also reflected on effects of social drinking. In this way Streissguth established the key findings explaining harmful effects of mothers’ alcohol intake on their fetuses. ...

Elizabeth M. Armstrong and Ernest L. Abel are the authors of the essay on “Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: The Origins of a Moral Panic,” which seems to be more of an opinion/editorial piece. Information about Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is provided through presentation of various studies that confirm the authors’ position on FAS being less severe than the way it has been reported (Armstrong & Abel, 2000). Armstrong and Abel clearly acknowledge the FAS is a real diagnosis, but they do not think that it warrants as much panic as what has been created through western medicine and society (Armstrong & Abel, ...

Fetal alcohol syndrome is a condition whereby a child is born with a range of physical and mental deformities as a result of alcohol consumption by the mother during pregnancy. Such deformities are permanent, and the affected children will have to live with them for the rest of their lives. Over the last few decades, the number of infants born with this disease has been steadily rising. Of late this situation has captured the attention of medical practitioners worldwide as the rates are now alarming. For this reason, the medical community is more aware of the conditions and is ...