Advocacy Project: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Learning Activity

Purpose: To educate others on the negative effects of Fetal Alchohol Syndrome has on the lives of the people with it and the people involved with them.
Background/Reasoning/Evidence:
Most of the features of FAS are variable. They may or may not be present in a given child. However, the most common features of FAS involve the growth, performance, intelligence, head and face, skeleton, and heart of the child.
Growth and birth weights are minimal.  Retardation of height growth is evident on the measurements of length in infancy and of standing height later in childhood. The growth lag is permanent.
Performance is impaired. The FAS infant is irritable. The older FAS child is hyperactive. Fine motor skills are impaired with weak grasp, poor eye-hand coordination, and tremors.
Intelligence is diminished. The average IQ is in the 60s. The face is characteristic with short eye openings , sunken nose bridge, short nose, flattening of the cheekbones and middle face, and smooth, thin upper lip.

Learning Activitiy Instructions:
Go to this website http://www.aafp.org/afp/2005/0715/p279.html  and look the different physical characteristics of a child with F.A.S. and then state whether or not the children below have F.A.S. and answer the few short answers questions at the end.

1.

 2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

1. One occasional drink during pregnancy is okay, especially towards the end to calm the mother's nerves, and aid in sleep.

True or False

2. A common birth defect in F.A.S. babies is having an abnormally short and crooked pinky.

True or False

3.  There is no known cure for F.A.S.

True or False

4. Preventing Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is not possible.

True or False

5. If the male has been consuming alcohol during conception, this puts the baby at risk for F.A.S.

True or False.

Whoever completes this exercise can just leave their answers in the comment box below and I will post the correct answers when both of my group members have done so.

See ya Monday!

Pam