FASD has affected my life in many ways.  I was born six weeks early and weighed three pounds, eleven ounces.  As a child, I never knew what it was but it was hard for me to make friends and I found myself feeling afraid of others.  School was very hard for me, especially math and English.  I couldn’t comprehend them.  I completed high school and tried college, but it didn’t go well.  Then I got a job.

Working was hard.  I didn’t know what I wanted to do and I went from job to job.  I couldn’t hold on to a job.  It was hard for me because I developed anxiety, depression and an eating disorder. I still deal with that today. I see a therapist often and take medication.  It’s still a struggle.

I do a lot of writing to express my feelings.  It helps me.  I also watch people very carefully to learn how to do certain things.  I tend to read everything twice to comprehend what I am reading.  For my anxiety, I avoid loud and crowded places.  I always surround myself with people that I feel comfortable and safe with.

I got involved with an organization called Al-Anon because I grew up in an alcoholic family. I do share my FASD story at the Al-Anon meetings.  I always tell myself if there is one young woman who is thinking about having a child and who is drinking, if I share my story and that one person hears me, it’s worth it.

I want people to know that there is hope.  I keep telling myself, if I can survive, others can too.  FASD comes with a lot of shame and challenges.  I always tell people to stop and think before taking that drink.  Pregnant women should remember that they are not drinking alone.

Read more interviews with those who are living everyday with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. Click this link to read those interviews on NOFAS’s website.

Can alcohol use during pregnancy really hurt a child? Read insights from a new study on alcohol during pregnancy.

Be sure to share your comments.

National & State Resource Directory
Find an FASD resource in your area.

Family Profiled in February 5 New York Times Magazine Article

When the Winokur family brought home two seemingly healthy infants from Russia
in 1999, they could not have foreseen the journey in store for them. Their son,
Iyal, was eventually diagnosed with fetal alcohol syndrome, (FAS) the most
severe form of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs). Iyal found comfort,
support and a much-needed ally in an unlikely package—a fluffy, 80 pound golden
retriever and expertly trained certified service dog named Chancer. Their story
is the subject of his mother Donnie Kanter Winokur’s new book, Nuzzle – love
between a boy and his service dog and the family generously shared their story
and Iyal’s journey with The New York Times Magazine. The featured article will
appear in the Sunday, February 5th edition, so pick up your copy this weekend!

NOFAS

FASD Expert – Jennifer Thomas on Choline

Dr. Jennifer Thomas, a professor of psychiatry at San Diego State University,
has researched the positive effects on choline, an essential nutrient, on
individuals affected by FASD. The research, while still in its early stages, is
promising for the treatment of various behavioral symptoms of FASD.

Reminder: NOFAS Action Alert

NOFAS is asking FASD advocates to urge their United States Senators to
co-sponsor upcoming FASD legislation.  NOFAS is hosting a Congressional briefing
to draw attention to the legislation on Wednesday, February 15, 2012 on Capitol
Hill.  Please take action by February 15!

FEATURES

‘Barefoot Bandit’ Courtroom Drama Ends With 6-1/2 Year Sentence

Colton Harris-Moore, a young man with FASD, was recently sentenced to 6½ years
in prison for his crimes of theft and burglary.
Article/Video, ABC News, January 27, 2012

Proposed Child Abuse Bill

The state of West Virginia plans to propose a bill that will fine and imprison
women that give birth to children with fetal alcohol syndrome.
Article/Video, WDTV.com, January 27, 2012

Virginia to transform system of caring for developmentally disabled

After years of placing individuals with developmental disabilities in to large
institutions, Virginia will close all but one institution and move thousands in
to their own homes.
Article, The Washington Post, January 26, 2012

Colton Harris-Moore’s attorney says emails are examples of Fetal Alcohol
Syndrome behavior

Colton Harris-Moore, best known as the ‘Barefoot Bandit’, recently ridiculed
police via phone and email prior to his sentencing.  His attorneys and FASD
experts are saying that this behavior is a classic example of the behavior of
someone with FASD.
Article, MyNorthwest.com, January 25, 2012

Stricter Thinking on Alcohol During Pregnancy

NOFAS quoted in a recent article summarizing new research and specific risks of
prenatal alcohol exposure.
Article, Wall Street Journal, January 24, 2012

Should pregnant ladies drink even just one?

On a recent episode of “How I Met Your Mother” one character says that her
physician told her that it’s okay to have “just a little bit” of alcohol while
pregnant.  Experts warn that no amount of alcohol during pregnancy is safe.
Blog, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, January 24, 2012

Beating birth defects

Physicians in Mississippi warn pregnant mothers of the dangers of exposing their
unborn children to alcohol.
Article, ClarionLedger.com, January 23, 2012

There are two teen trends that you need to know about. Please view the videos below.

Learn More About Kratom

Learn More About Dragonfly

The CDC’s Vital Signs report, which
launched in 2010, addresses a single, important public health topic each
month.  The first issue of 2012′s Vital Signs includes the latest
findings on binge drinking from the 2010 Behavioral Risk Factor
Surveillance System (BRFSS) which included combined landline and
cellular telephone respondents.

Some of the key messages in the binge drinking issue of Vital Signs
include the following:

*         Thirty-eight million U.S. adults binge drink an average of 4
times a month.

*         On average, the largest number of drinks consumed is 8.

*         While more 18-34 year olds binge drink, binge drinkers aged 65
years and older binge drink more often than other age groups-an average
of five to six times a month.

*         Although more people with incomes above $75,000 binge drink,
those with incomes less than $25,000 drink more when they binge. The
largest number of drinks consumed averages between 8 and 9 in the lower
income group.

*         Adult binge drinking is most common in the Midwest, New
England, the District of Columbia, Alaska and Hawaii. However binge
drinkers in the southern Mountain states (Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico,
and Utah), Midwest, and some states where binge drinking is less common
- including Louisiana, Mississippi, and South Carolina – consume more
drinks when they binge.

*         Binge drinking is a costly and deadly behavior. Drinking too
much, including binge drinking, is responsible for 80,000 deaths each
year and cost the U.S. $223.5 billion in 2006, or $1.90 a drink. These
costs include health care expenses, crime, and lost productivity.

*         Evidence-based strategies, such as those recommended by the
Community Guide, can help prevent binge drinking.

Click here to read the full report from Vital Signs on binge drinking.

ALSO read this important Fact Sheet on Binge Drinking.

The Kentucky Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Center website is satuated with Powerpoint slides, videos and other resources. We are providing the link to the site so you can choose the resources you want to share. Click here for the Kentucky FASD Center website.

Prenatal Alcohol Use and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders: Diagnosis, Assessment and New Directions in Research and Multimodal Treatment is now available as an e-book with Bentham Science Publishing.

Get your copy TODAY!