I remember when I was first learning about Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) and how damaging alcohol is on a fetus. It was when Akila was in 1st grade. It was an eye opening year as I did a lot of research and went to several conferences.
I remember being really shocked that alcohol is more damaging to a fetus than almost all street drugs. This is something that people are still in shock about when I talk about FASD, I often think that some people don't believe me. I invite them to live with us for a week.
Anyway, check out this
article, in which
Drug Experts Say Alcohol Worse Than Crack or Heroin.
This is not in regards to a fetus, but in regards to the person drinking the alcohol. It is even worse than crystal meth. I have been wondering if meth is possibly more damaging on a fetus than alcohol, but I haven't read anything on that yet. Does anybody out there know? All my FASD experts!!!
3 comments:
I just found your blog by googling Manic episode with FASD...yep, we had one last night for over 3 hours....did not know if I should take my FASD child to the emergency room or to a priest for an exorcism...really it was that bad. Meds were not working. Well anyway, I hope to gain some insight from your blog and maybe some peace to know I am not alone.
No idea which one 'wins' in the meth/alcohol debate - thinking about the other new things that are surfacing regulalry now the whole Oxy range of medications and street drugs.
When I adopted my oldest 15 years ago, I was completely open to crack or heroin exposure because kids exposed to heroin mostly have good outcomes and the whole "crack baby" myth was starting to be exposed. But I was really afraid of FAS.
I remember after I got her, I read her records and was not alarmed that she had been exposed to crack every day from conception to birth. I was more alarmed at the inconsistency in the reports about whether her birthmother drank a "6 pack a day" or a " 6 pack a month" both of which were stated in the records. The latter seemed more likely upon careful reading. I was also worried about the daily tobacco exposure.
My concerns were the opposite of most people's who avoided "crack babies." People I know who adopted children exposed to crack have had mostly good experiences. But the kids with FAS from Eastern Europe that a couple of my friends have adopted have had rough time. And I have had students with FAS who have had many challenges.
Yet whenever we have an off the wall student, someone will STILL say, "That must be a crack baby."
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