For Whom The Bells Will Toll
Local churches to participate in the Fetal Alcohol Syndrom Disorder International Bell Concordance.
Photos
At 9:09 a.m., on September 9, the bells of the Community Church of Douglaston and Zion Episcopal Church will ring in an effort to help raise awareness about fetal alcohol syndrome.
But most of the people who hear them chime will not have any idea why the bells are ringing nor will they have the inclination to beg that question.
Susan Rose, the president of the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Network of New York City and Long Island, a 12-year-old nonprofit that has been leading the charge locally against the condition, is on a mission to get the word out - and not just about the reason the bells will be ringing in two weeks.
"FAS is often referred to as 'the hidden disorder' because there aren't many people today who realize that a problem still exists, which makes the first goal to educate everyone that it does," Rose said.
An estimated 40,000 children are born in America each year with some form of fetal alcohol syndrome, she said.
"Perhaps what's even more shocking is that the new high-risk group to have babies with FAS are caucasian women in their 20s who are college educated and making over $50,000 per year," she added.
Rose attributes this staggering statistic to the fact that an unfortunate number of children, teens, young adults, parents and mothers, particularly in her home town of Douglaston, are unaware that even moderate alcohol consumption during pregnancy can cause disorders.
"Most people don't realize that alcohol is more dangerous to the unborn child than heroin, crack or cocaine, because the molecules in alcohol are small enough to travel through the placenta," Rose said.
Fetal alcohol syndrome is a lifelong condition that is characterized by a set of physical, mental and neurobehavioral birth defects associated with alcohol consumption during pregnancy.
"My message is simple—no amount of alcohol has been found safe to the unborn child. Even drinking just one glass of wine per day while pregnant can be enough to cause Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder," Rose said.
To find out more about Fetal Alcohol Syndrome or for information on what one can do to help log on to http://www.fassn.org/
cynthia strauss
11:43 am on Saturday, August 27, 2011
Both FAS (fetal alcohal syndrome) and FASD (fetal alcohal spectrum disorder) can be prevented. It involves zero consumption of all alcohal during pregnancy. Even one glass of wine a day is enough to cause brain damage to these little ones.
Think about it......
Susan Rose-Trussux
1:35 pm on Saturday, August 27, 2011
Thanks, Cindy. Drinking alcohol during pregnancy is like playing Russian Roulette because there is no way of knowing which brain cells will die-even with even one drink of beer or wine.
GDunn
10:02 am on Monday, August 29, 2011
I can't believe this is even a discussion. Who in their right mind would take a sip of alcohol while pregnant? Stupid people...
Michael Gannon
6:01 pm on Monday, August 29, 2011
I would think the time before a pregnancy is established would be just as critical to a woman of child bearing years. And what about the male side of the equation? What is the consequence of alcohol on sperm development?
Barbara Bartley Baldwin
7:10 pm on Monday, August 29, 2011
It seems there are three obvious groups of mothers to reach with this important information-1) the uninformed ,2) the mis-informed and 3) the ones in denial.
Acronym for denial= Don't Even kNow I Am Lying-
Thank you for getting the word out and ringing the bells-it is a WAKE-UP
Call.
Kathrine Mueller
1:25 pm on Friday, September 2, 2011
If alcohol even has the 'potential' to cause damage to your unborn child, why take the chance? Doctors who say it is fine to have a drink during pregnancy are acting very irresponsibly.
Walter Mugdan
8:40 pm on Thursday, September 8, 2011
Great article. I think a very valuable follow-up would be more information about how parents -- and doctors as well -- can recognize fetal alcohol syndrome in a child. With tens of thousands of such children born annually, and with many of those children diagnosed (mis-daignosed?) with ADHD, there would seem to be a great need for education here, too. Prevention is obviously the easiest and best response; but accurate diagnosis, and effective care and nurturing techniques, are also critical as long as there continues to be such a high rate of FAS.