"FAS is believed to be one of the leading causes of preventable birth defects and developmental delay among Canadian children."

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Temat: "FAS is believed to be one of the leading causes of preventable birth defects and developmental delay among Canadian children."
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http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hpb/lcdc/brch/factshts/alcprg
_e.html

FAS is believed to be one of
the leading causes of preventable birth defects and developmental delay
among Canadian children.6

Effects of Prenatal Alcohol Exposure
The effects of prenatal alcohol exposure vary and are thought to depend
on a number of factors, including the
quantity of alcohol consumed, the stage(s) during the pregnancy when
the alcohol was consumed, the
mothers ability to metabolize alcohol and the genetic makeup of the
fetus. Alcohol consumption during the
first trimester is more likely to lead to structural and anatomical
defects, whereas consumption during the
second and third trimester increases the risk of growth restriction and
functional impairment. Effects occur
along a continuum of severity, with miscarriage, intrauterine growth
restriction and FAS being among the more
severe. Less severe effects include certain cognitive or behavioural
abnormalities. However, these
abnormalities, particularly maladaptive disorders (attention deficits,
poor judgement, lower comprehension and
defiance) can persist into adulthood and significantly impair the
quality of life of the individual.2,7

It is difficult to assess what proportion of adverse pregnancy outcomes
are attributable to prenatal alcohol
exposure because of difficulties in valid ascertainment of maternal
alcohol consumption and because many
adverse pregnancy outcomes are associated with multiple risk factors.
Furthermore, subjective interpretation
of diagnostic criteria, differences in study methodology and failure to
recognize ARBD make it difficult to
accurately measure the incidence of these conditions.

To date, there are no national data on the incidence of FAS in Canada.
However, FAS is believed to be one of
the leading causes of preventable birth defects and developmental delay
among Canadian children.6 The
national rate has been estimated to be 1 to 2 per 1000 live births,8,9
suggesting that each year more than 350
children are born with FAS. The Canadian Centre for Substance Abuse
has estimated the lifetime extra health
care, education and social services costs associated with the care of
an individual with FAS to be about $1.4
million.10 +

Several regional studies of FAS have been conducted in Canada. In
Saskatchewan, no significant change was
reported in the provincial incidence between the periods 1973-1977
(0.51 per 1000 live births) and 1988-1992
(0.59 per 1000 live births).11 In an isolated northern community in
British Columbia it was found that 14 of 116
children below the age of 18 had FAS and eight had FAE, corresponding
to an ARBD prevalence of 190 per
1000.12 A study conducted on a First Nations reserve in Manitoba
reported an ARBD rate of approximately 100
per 1000 live births.10 Results from these studies and others suggest
that ARBD may be more prevalent among
children in some Aboriginal communities.

+ This reference reports that the Canadian Centre for Substance Abuse
estimates an extra lifetime cost of $1.4
million to care for a child with FAS. This estimate should be
attributed to a report on fetal alcohol syndrome
prepared for the Alaska State Legislative in 1989.1 We are currently
unaware of an estimate of extra lifetime
costs associated with caring for an FAS child in Canada.

1 Ann Pytkowicz Streissguth. What every community should know about
drinking during pregnancy and the
lifelong consequences for society. Substance Abuse 1991;12(3):114-27.