September is Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) awareness month.  FASD refers to Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and other related alcohol related birth defects.  It is the leading known cause of intellectual disabilities.  Learning disabilities, attention deficits and hyperactivity are also results.   FASD causes serious social and behavioral problems, often times being misdiagnosed.  The sole cause of FASD is women drinking alcohol during pregnancy.

Some facts about FASD:

• Alcohol causes more damage to a baby than any other drug.
• No amount of alcohol is safe during pregnancy!
• When a pregnant woman uses alcohol her baby does too!
• 1 in 100 births have FASD!
• FASD is 100% preventable!

Alcohol interferes with fetal grow by triggering cell death causing parts of the fetus to develop abnormally.  It can disrupt the way nerve cells develop and form parts of the brain. Alcohol constricts blood vessels and blood flow into the placenta hindering delivery of nutrients and oxygen to the fetus.