International Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Awareness Day Today

Did you hear some bells ringing at 9:09 A.M. today? If so, it's likely that your area is participating in International Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) Day.

Did you hear some bells ringing at 9:09 A.M. today? If so, it’s likely that your area is participating in International Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) Day, an international day dedicated to spreading the word about the effects of drinking alcohol during pregnancy on developing fetuses.

Every year on September 9th, International FASD Awareness Day is observed.  Proclamations are issued in countries, states, provinces, and towns all around the world.  Bells are rung at 9:09 a.m. in every time zone from New Zealand to Alaska.  People all around the world gather for events to raise awareness about the dangers of drinking during pregnancy and the plight of individuals and families who struggle with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD).  The first FASDay was celebrated on 9/9/99.  This day was chosen so that on the ninth day of the ninth month of the year, the world will remember that during the nine months of pregnancy a woman should abstain from alcohol.  Anytime is a good time to raise awareness about Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD).

The effects of FASD can be very serious, but often the disorder goes undiagnosed, as the Houston Chronicle reports:

On the 9th day of the 9th month of 2010, the United States and the international community will commemorate Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Awareness Day. If you have never heard of this day, or do not know about FASD, then now is the time to learn about it.

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders is the name given to a continuum of physical and mental health problems that arise as a result of a fetus being exposed to alcohol in utero. A diagnosis of FASD can be hard to make unless a mother discusses her drinking with her doctor or the child’s doctor. Some children may be misdiagnosed as having autism,ADHD,oppositional defiant or conduct disorder,pervasive developmental delay,learning disabilities,emotional/behavior problems,reactive attachment disorder and many other conditions.

Or they are never diagnosed at all. Many adoptive families struggle with a child’s problems, never knowing the causes or successful interventions to help them. A major reason the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services removes children from their families is because the parents are substance abusers.

Some of the most common characteristics of alcohol-related brain damage include: poor impulse control and poor problem solving skills, difficulty linking actions to consequences, poor social communication, limited abstract reasoning and lack of trial and error learning. People with FASD have great difficulty internalizing values, feelings and laws, and may develop inappropriate social, sexual and sociopathic behaviors.

You can learn more about FASD, including how to avoid the disorder, information on the diagnosis, and finding support, by going to the National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome’s web site.