Church Rings Bell For Raise FASD Awareness
COUNTY – On Friday, Sept. 9 at 9 a.m. church bells will ring nine times to recognize Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Day.
The Wayne County Drug and Alcohol Commission is
Church Rings Bell For Raise FASD Awareness
COUNTY – On Friday, Sept. 9 at 9 a.m. church bells will ring nine times to recognize Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Day.
The Wayne County Drug and Alcohol Commission is among the organizations working to raise awareness of the dangers of drinking alcohol while pregnant.
“This is a national campaign,” said Charlotte Myers, certified prevention specialist with the Wayne County Drug & Alcohol Commission.
“Communities and churches around the country will be ringing bells to raise awareness. The significance of the ninth day of the ninth month at 9 with the bells ringing nine times is related to the nine months of pregnancy.”
Women who are pregnant are advised to abstain from alcohol to “eliminate alcohol-exposed pregnancies,” according to the U. S. Surgeon General.
An estimated 40,000 babies are born each year with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), which describe an array of effects that take place when babies are exposed to alcohol before birth.
“There’s no safe amount of alcohol that pregnant women can drink to ensure they have a healthy baby,” Myers said.
Avoiding alcohol while pregnant can save babies from being diagnosed with an FASD.
FASD impacts a child’s physical, mental, behavioral and cognitive development.
According to a release, the most visible condition in the FASD realm is Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), which is “characterized by growth deficiencies, central nervous system disabilities, and specific facial characteristics.”
“It’s important to know there’s absolutely no alcohol intake that should be considered safe during pregnancy,” said Mary Beth Dastalfo, RN clinical leader for New Beginnings at Wayne Memorial Hospital.
“That’s one of the biggest things.”
She added it’s also “not safer” to drink alcohol in the third trimester versus the first trimester.
“That’s another misconception,” Dastalfo said.
“There’s no proof of that. There’s no safe trimester [for alcohol].”
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