Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is present in three out of every 1000 births in the United States today. Teens start drinking alcohol, away from the home, at the age of fifteen. These two facts combine to present a heart breaking scenario associated with teen pregnancy. As difficult as it is for a teenager to give birth and try to raise a baby it is infinitely more challenging when the infant is inflicted with complications that will last a lifetime. When a pregnant teenager drinks alcohol it enters the bloodstream and finds its way to the fetus. As the alcohol is metabolized the tissues in the fetus will most certainly be negatively affected.
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Teenage Pregnancy causes a number of defects that are all related to tissue damage. One of the symptoms is mental retardation which can be prevented if the alcohol consumption is stopped soon enough. Other symptoms range from facial abnormalities, heart defects and deformed limbs. There are a number of abnormal behaviors associated with FAS including short attention span, poor impulse control, anxiety, hypertension and extreme nervousness.
It is important to note that adult females can also give birth to infants with FAS. Adults may have a longer drinking history than children and find it more difficult to stop drinking. Drug rehab centers can assist in the detox and treatment of those in need. Educating teenage mothers about the affects of alcohol on their unborn child could allow fetus development and prevent the devastation that comes with FAS.