5 Percent Of U.S. Children Suffer From A Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder

Numerous studies have shown just how alcohol can affect the development of a fetus.

Now, recent findings published in the journal Pediatrics look at these statistics more in-depth; they reveal that as many as 5 percent of U.S. children suffer from fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), and as many as one in 20 U.S. children may have health or behavioral related problems following birth after being exposed to alcohol.

"Knowing not to drink during pregnancy and not doing so are two different things," especially before a woman knows she is pregnant, said lead researcher Philip May, a professor of public health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, in a news release.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) classifies FASDs as a group of conditions that can occur in a person whose mother drank alcohol during pregnancy-with fetal alcohol syndrome being the most severe. A health issue like this one will also include abnormal facial features, structural brain abnormalities, developmental issues and behavioral problems, as well.

For the study, researchers examined the average alcohol consumption rate per year in a small Midwest town that held 32 schools with more than 2,000 children in the first grade. Roughly 70 percent of the children from this group were allowed to participate in the study and were administered cognitive and behavioral tests. Researchers also measured the children's height, weight and head circumference.

Findings revealed that the average alcohol consumption rate was around 14 percent higher than the nation's average annual rate of alcohol intake, and the rate of children with FASD was also higher than expected. Furthermore, researchers discovered that about six to nine children out of 1,000 had fetal alcohol syndrome, with roughly 11 to 17 children out of 1,000 having partial fetal alcohol syndrome.

"There is no safe amount of alcohol or safe time to drink during pregnancy, or when planning on becoming pregnant," added Dr. Lana Popova, a senior scientist at the Center for Addiction and Mental Health and an assistant professor of epidemiology and of social work at the University of Toronto. "If a woman is unaware of her pregnancy, for whatever reason, she should discontinue drinking immediately upon pregnancy recognition."

As alcohol and the unborn mind continue to be a topic of much debate, scientists are still unclear of alcohol's exact damage and how that might translate from neural development into certain mental deficits.

Furthermore, certain studies also provide mixed information. A 2013 study published in October's journal Obstetrics & Gynecology showed that drinking small amounts of alcohol during and even beyond the first trimester of pregnancy did not increase the risks of premature delivery, low birth weight or high blood pressure among 5,268 women who were pregnant for the first time between 2004 and 2011 in Ireland, England, New Zealand or Australia.

Yet as so much is still unknown, most health officials would probably agree--it's always best to stay on the safe side.