Press Releases
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 20, 2007
Drinking While Pregnant
TRENTON, NJ--Alcohol consumption by a pregnant woman is unhealthy for her fetus during any stage of pregnancy.
That was one of many messages area clinicians and outreach workers heard Tuesday from Dr. Ira M. Chasnoff, one of the nation's leading experts on alcohol and drug use by pregnant women. Chasnoff spoke at workshops held at Mercer County Community College's Kerney Campus and Capital Health System's Mercer Campus.
Chasnoff, president of the Children's Research Triangle in Chicago and author of five books on this subject, described the numerous problems associated with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). He also displayed graphic pictures of children born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome to underscore the risks associated with prenatal alcohol exposure, which is the leading known cause of brain damage and mental retardation in children.
Despite all of the research, Chasnoff said there are still physicians and others who think there is nothing wrong with pregnant women having an occasional drink of alcohol.
Chasnoff's presentation was arranged by Children's Futures, which works collaboratively with agencies and clinicians to improve children's health and development with a particular focus on strengthening new families. Children's Futures and its community partners also work to increase screening and risk assessments for pregnant Trenton residents. Chasnoff, who has been working with Children's Futures for five years, gives the initiative high marks for its efforts to improve early intervention and treatment of problems associated with prenatal alcohol, tobacco and drug use.
According to the National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (NOFAS), the problems associated with prenatal alcohol exposure extend beyond birth with 61 percent of adolescents and 58 percent of adults with FASD experiencing problems with the law.###
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