Stories of Alcoholism

Dealing with Unexpected Consequences

During the time of her pregnancy, Sharon’s friends were concerned about her drinking habits. It’s not that they thought she was an alcoholic, but they were wondering out loud about whether or not her drinking might hurt the baby.

They didn’t want to pry, or stick their nose into anyone else’s business, but they were worried. When they brought it up to Sharon, she didn’t want to listen, but was polite about it and assured them that everything was fine.

Back in the late 1960s there wasn’t a lot of information about alcohol effecting the development of a fetus, but after little Abby was born Sharon and her husband Ron knew that something wasn’t right with the child. The little girl displayed some abnormal facial features.

She had small eyes for one thing, and she didn’t grow they way they expected. As she got a little older, other problems began to surface. She was slow, had poor vision and a heart murmur. These were all signs of retardation, but their pediatrician could not put a name to it.

It wasn’t until the early 1970’s that the term Fetal Alcohol Syndrome was introduced and recognized. At least one of three major criteria for Fetal Alcohol Syndrome must be present in order for a diagnosis of the condition to be made. The first area is growth retardation before and after birth. The second centers on abnormal facial features, such as a smaller head, smaller eyes, a flattened bridge of the nose and a shorter nose.

Also apparent can be a flattening of the vertical groove of the area between the upper lip and nose. Lastly, there is evidence of abnormal neonatal behavior, mental retardation or evidence of other abnormal neuro-behavioral development. What makes the diagnosis difficult is that any of these features can be seen apart from any alcohol exposure.

Aside from the examination of the child, it is helpful for the physician to have an understanding of the mother’s drinking habits. In Sharon’s case, there was no discussion of her drinking, and no cause of the problem was ever diagnosed. If a physician is familiar with a mother’s alcohol abuse, the diagnosis is more easily deduced.

Researchers have found that heavy alcohol abuse throughout a pregnancy is the most damaging factor. Also binge drinking during pregnancy is potentially damaging.

Making the diagnosis more difficult is the fact that not all babies of drinking mothers will have developmental difficulties. According to a 2004 article by R.J. Floyd and J.S. Sidhu entitled “Monitoring Prenatal Alcohol Exposure,” in the American Journal of Medical Genetics, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome occurrences range from approximately .02 per thousand births to as many as 1.5 per thousand. It is difficult to estimate the numbers among women who abuse alcohol, because it is difficult to diagnose what is alcohol abuse.

In Sharon’s case, the fact of her alcoholism was hidden. While some of her friends might have suspected alcoholism, there was never a diagnosis. The developmental problems with the little girl took their toll on Sharon, whose alcoholism eventually got in the way of everyday life and finally she sought help.

During her recovery from the disease, Sharon was faced with the knowledge that her drinking was a factor, giving her another layer of guilt and remorse to work through. The problems that her daughter had were probably avoidable.

In the nearly 40 years since then, there have been so many advances in medical knowledge about Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and mothers have access to far more immediate information and counsel. Potential mothers are well advised to understand the risks of using alcohol during pregnancy.

Ned Wicker is the addictions chaplain at Waukesha Memorial Hospital Lawrence Center

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