Dad's alcohol use before conception may cause fetal alcohol syndrome

Expectant mothers' alcohol use during pregnancy is a known cause of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). FAS is one of a range of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs). FAS children can suffer physical deformities, reduced intellect, stunted growth, nervous system abnormalities, social problems and isolation. A new study published in Animal Cells and Systems suggests the father's drinking also may contribute to FAS.

The Korean study exposed male rodents to varying concentrations of alcohol prior to mating. Some of the fetuses they helped conceive suffered abnormal organ development and/or brain development. The offspring of the “sober” male mice in the study showed no abnormalities.

The study authors concluded that alcohol consumption, not necessarily heavy use or the disease of alcoholism, affects genes in sperm which are responsible for normal fetal development.

The study mice were exposed to alcohol for only seven weeks, then were given no alcohol for a week before mating. None of the female mice had been exposed to alcohol. The number of embryos per mouse was counted and embryo body weights measured. The study’s authors found “severe fetal abnormalities,” including a disorder called exencephaly, where the brain is located outside the skull. The researchers said the incidence of developmental abnormalities by alcohol use was “statistically significant.”

They concluded that paternal alcohol exposure prior to conception causes developmental defects in the next generation. Transgenerational toxicity — a health effect that occurs when a pollutant or toxic substance passes from a parent to a child — caused by paternal alcohol exposure “is possibly mediated through alcohol-induced changes in sperm” at the DNA level.

Until now fathers have not had a causal link to FAS. According to the researchers, this study provides the first definitive evidence that fathers’ drinking habits, pre-conception, can cause significant fetal abnormalities.

As many as 40,000 babies are born with an FASD annually, costing the U.S. up to $6 billion annually in institutional and medical costs. Costs of FAS alone are estimated at between 1 and 5 million dollars per child. (See related examiner.com article) This estimate does not include the cost to society, such as lost productivity or incarceration, nor does it factor in the burden on families and poor quality of life. FAS, the most recognized condition among FASDs, now outranks Down syndrome and autism in prevalence. A child is born with an FASD every 4 1/2 minutes.
(from examiner.com, see full article)
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Scroll down for the replay of the Dr. Jeanette Gallagher show feature with Scott Stevens. Lucy Pireel's "All That's Written" included a feature on Every Silver Lining Has a Cloud called "When alcohol doesn't work for you anymore."  Details on the third literary award for Every Silver Lining Has a Cloud can be found on www.alcohologist.com, plus the interview with Scott Stevens at Christoph Fisher Books.  Mr. Fisher is an acclaimed international historical fiction novelist from the UK. 

FASD Awareness Day 9/ 9: Fetal alcohol syndrome more common than autism

The date 9/9 is a reminder to women who are or may be pregnant that during the nine months of pregnancy, there are significant and life-long risks due to alcohol for the child they carry. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has enhanced its message about Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) each year since the 9/9/99 observance of FASD Awareness Day.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), the most recognized condition in the spectrum, now outranks Down syndrome and autism in prevalence. A child is born with FASD every 4 1/2 minutes.

According to SAMHSA, women with the disease of alcoholism are not the only ones risking fetal development: Even infrequent social drinking is dangerous. "There is no known safe level of alcohol use in pregnancy." 

When an expecting mother drinks, the alcohol is passed directly to the fetus. The unborn will have the same blood alcohol concentration (BAC) as the mother, but lacks the ability to process the alcohol the way an adult does, so the BAC remains high for a long time. The alcohol causes a number of physical, cognitive, social and neurological problems in the infant that are permanent and irreversible. Alcohol also can kill a fetus.

FASD is a broad category conditions including FAS, alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder and alcohol-related birth defects. In the United States, about 130,000 pregnant women each year drink at levels shown to increase the risk of having a child with an FASD, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). As many as 40,000 babies are born with an FASD annually, costing the U.S. up to $6 billion annually in institutional and medical costs. Costs of FAS alone are estimated at between 1 and 5 million dollars per child. This estimate does not include cost to society, such as lost productivity or incarceration, nor does it factor in the burden on families and poor quality of life.

Physical deformities (facial abnormalities, fused joints, organ problems) are one of the more obvious consequences of prenatal exposure to alcohol. However, the development of the brain is of particular concern. The brains of FASD babies are measurably smaller than otherwise healthy babies. Resulting impairments may include:
• Mental retardation
• Learning disabilities
• Attention deficits
• Hyperactivity
• Problems with impulse control, language, memory, and social skills

The brain and nervous system are among the first to develop, beginning around week three of pregnancy when some women may not even realize they're expecting. In the U.S. 1 in 2 adult women reports any alcohol use in the past month: Some women might not even know if they're pregnant 30 days after conception. For those who know they're pregnant, SAMHSA's stats are cause for concern. One in 30 pregnant women drinks at levels shown to increase the risk of FASD and more than 20 percent of pregnant women report alcohol use in the first trimester. The latter number drops to five percent in the third trimester.

A 2004 University of Washington study found that children born with FASD have a lifetime of difficulties. More than 90 percent had mental health problems, 83 percent experienced dependent living into adulthood, 80 percent had employment problems as adults., 6 in ten of those age 12 and older had trouble with the law and more than a third had had alcohol and drug problems.
SAMHSA notes that protecting babies from alcohol goes beyond pregnancy. "When a woman uses alcohol, her baby does, too. That’s why abstaining from drinking throughout pregnancy and during breastfeeding is the best gift a mother can give her child—it’s a gift that lasts a lifetime."

FAS, a diagnosis that first gained national attention in 1973, has four major components:
• A characteristic pattern of facial abnormalities (small eye openings, indistinct or flat philtrum between nose and mouth, thin upper lip)
• Growth deficiencies, such as low birth weight
• Brain damage, such as small skull at birth, structural defects and neurologic signs, including impaired fine motor skills, poor eye-hand coordination and tremors
• Maternal alcohol use during pregnancy

The SAMSHA message is abrupt, but clear. "FASD is 100 percent preventable. If you get pregnant, don't drink. If you drink, don't get pregnant."
-- from examiner.com 9/7
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SATURDAY REWIND: Confusing messages about alcohol and pregnancy

There's been a lot of good science coming out of universities lately on the causes of alcohol use disorders and the health consequences of drinking. I try to report on most of it, even when it comes in direct conflict with previous research. Who's to say the old research isn't... well... old?

 

Sometimes the confusion is the result of careless reporting not the studies themselves. Take for example the breast cancer research announced April 8 (see “Report clouds alcohol, breast cancer connection”). The study concluded that moderate alcohol use doesn't make breast cancer less survivable after diagnosis. Several media outlets interpreted the findings to mean alcohol doesn't increase breast cancer, which was not the study's focus. In fact, alcohol consumption remains the only dietary factor shown to increase breast cancer risk. The new research confirmed that point, but said it didn't make the breast cancer drinkers get more fatal than non-drinker's breast cancer.

 

This week, a new study was released on alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Headlines from the study claimed “Light drinking during pregnancy may not harm baby” based on observations of children born to mothers who reported drinking one or two drinks a week during pregnancy.

 

Here are excerpts from two other studies from my archive that suggest otherwise.

Alcohol causes low birth weight even when a mother has treatment 12 months prior

A study of 1,107 first-time mothers released April 15 by Australia's University of New South Wales found an increased risk of low birth weight even if the mother was treated for an alcohol use disorder 12 months before conception. Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FAS) have often been connected with drinking after conception. This is the first study connecting problems with newborns with drinking alcohol prior to conception.

 

The results of the study were outlined at the annual congress of the Perinatal Society of Australia and New Zealand in Adelaide. The researchers found women with drug or alcohol problems, even problems that were addressed, are up to four times more likely to have a low-birth-weight baby. -- (article continues here)

 

 

Drinking during pregnancy drops the child's IQ by age eight

 

The physical deformities resulting from alcohol use during pregnancy have been well known for years, but a study released November 15 in Britain proves the drinking impairs mental performance in elementary school. Researchers found an eight point drop in Intelligence Quotient (IQ) scores among third-graders whose mothers drank during pregnancy. The point is not the eight points, it is that there was a measurable difference between kids who had mothers who drank during pregnancy versus kids whose mothers abstained.

 

The study is one of the first of its kind to track the genetic changes brought about by prenatal alcohol use. It did not include heavy drinkers, but rather focused on alcohol consumption that ordinarily would be considered “moderate.” The moderate drinking caused changes in four specific genes in the children and later resulted in the lower IQ scores.  (article continues here)



The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that drinking alcohol during pregnancy can lead to FAS:  Birth defects, cognitive problems and disabilities. They are some of the most preventable birth defects and developmental disabilities. The CDC also points out that there is no amount of alcohol that is safe to drink while pregnant, and all drinks with alcohol can hurt a fetus.

Responsible parenting – and common sense – tend to side with the CDC on this one. Who wants to find out nine months later that the study or the headlines about moderate drinking being ok were wrong?

www.alcoholgist.com