What is Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) Awareness Day?
FASD Awareness Day is dedicated to increasing awareness in every community about FASD. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the identification of alcohol-related birth defects in the medical community. FASD Awareness Day is sponsored by FASworld, an international alliance of concerned parents, professionals, and caregivers working together to educate the public. The date, 9/9, was chosen to remind the world of the dangers of alcohol consumption on the growing fetus during the 9 months of pregnancy. Back to top What is FASD? FASD is used to describe the range of lifelong physical and mental effects from which a baby can suffer because of prenatal alcohol use. FASD covers other terms, the most common of which is fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). As one of the known leading causes of mental retardation and birth defects, FAS is characterized by abnormal facial features, growth deficiencies, and problems with the central nervous system. People with FAS also may have problems with learning,
