Well, nay-sayers, prepare to be proven wrong. All of you snarky mamas who glared at me nursing my 3 1/2-year-old on the NYC subway, prepare to be amazed. And to all of my family and friends who wanted to chastise me about nursing a walking, talking, thinking, laughing little man named Fred, thanks for holding your tongues. Because we did it.
Fetal Alcohol Effects: FASDs. Traditionally, alcohol birth defects and other problems caused by a mother drinking while pregnant were broadly grouped under the term âfetal alcohol effects.â Today, the range of problems that impact babies born under these conditions are referred to as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs).
An environmental cause can include a drug, alcohol or a disease the mother has that can increase the chance for the baby to be born with a birth defect. An agent that can cause a birth defect is known as a teratogen. Multifactorial birth defects are caused by a combination of genes and environmental exposures.