THE ISSUE: Mother’s Day

OUR OPINION: Battling Fetal Alcohol Syndrome remains priority

Mother’s Day has come a long way since its birth in 1914, becoming one of America’s most celebrated observances.

Motherhood should be celebrated. It should be respected. In so many debates about the problems with today’s young people, the role of parents is mentioned but without enough emphasis on what must be done to help parents improve their skills.

You can keep children in school all day and have the best teachers in the world, but a child learns more from parents than anyone and will listen to parents despite what a teacher may say or not say.

This Mother’s Day is time to call attention to something that parents − and particularly expectant mothers − desperately need to know. It is a basic responsibility of parenting that must come before a child is born.

“Many times at night I look at my son’s absolutely beautiful face and cry. I wonder what could have been had I known what I was doing to him. Had I known, would I have been able to change anything? What could have been his potential? My chest heaves with the pain and regret, and I’m scared to death of our future. Where will we be in two years, five years, 10 years? How will I ever be able to start telling him why he is different? To tell him why he can’t do things that other children can do, and that some things are harder for him? I fear the future for both of us. I love him so much, how can I tell him that I hurt him by my drinking? My prayer is that God grants me the courage to do the best I can for both of us ...”

These words reflect the tragic and painful reality experienced by a mother who consumed alcohol during pregnancy and gave birth to a son with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, an identifiable pattern of alcohol-related birth defects. Among their symptoms, children with FAS may grow less quickly than other children, have facial abnormalities and have problems with their central nervous systems.

In the United States, FAS is one of the leading causes of birth defects and is thought to be the most common cause of preventable mental retardation. Each year between 5,000 and 12,000 American babies are born with the condition.

FAS is a problem in South Carolina, where roughly a quarter of children are born to a mother who used alcohol or other illegal or non-prescribed drugs during pregnancy.

When a pregnant woman drinks alcohol, the alcohol enters her bloodstream and passes through the placenta directly to the baby. While the woman’s liver is able to filter most of the harmful effects of the alcohol, the baby’s partially developed liver cannot, so the alcohol stays in the baby’s system much longer and can cause severe damage.

Educating parents and would-be parents is essential. Knowing is an essential part of a battle that will be lost with some because of addictions they cannot or will not be overcome.

Still, making knowledge and help available can save many children from Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.

And there’s no better gift to Mom and the world on Mother’s Day and every day than a healthy baby.

You must be logged in to comment.