| The ill effects of alcohol consumed during pregnancy | | | | are caused by a pregnant woman consuming alchohol |
| causes a pattern of mental and physical defects in | | | | between the 10th and the 20th week of |
| some unborn babies, known as Fetal Alcohol | | | | pregnancy.Alcohol interferes with the ability of the |
| Syndrome. Fetal alcohol syndrome was named in | | | | fetus to receive sufficient oxygen and nourishment |
| 1973 by two dysmorphologists, Kenneth Lyons Jones | | | | for normal cell development in the brain and other |
| and David W. Smith of the University of Washington | | | | body organs. FAS is characterized by abnormal facial |
| Medical School in Seattle.In the United States, there | | | | features, growth deficiencies, and central nervous |
| are more babies born with fetal alcohol syndrome | | | | system problems. People with FAS have problems |
| than HIV or Downs Syndrome. A child born with FAS | | | | with learning, memory, attention span, |
| may be seriously handicapped, possibly requiring a | | | | communication, vision, hearing, or a combination of |
| lifetime of special care. Most of the disabilities of FAS | | | | these. |