Resources: Frequently Asked Questions

Congenital Syndromes

Q: What is Autism?

A: Dr. B.J. Freeman from UCLA provides a nice summary of what we look for in an individual with autism when he notes “autism usually manifests itself by the appearance of typical behavioral symptoms in the following areas:

1. Disturbances in the rate of appearance of physical, social and language skills.
2. Abnormal responses to sensations. Any one or a combination of senses or responses are affected, sight, hearing touch, balance, reaction to pain or in the way the child holds his body.
3. Speech, language and non-verbal communication.
4. Abnormal ways of relating to people, objects and to events in the environment.”

Q: How do you cure Autism?

A: There is no cure for autism. Research on the cause of and treatments for autism is on going. There is a great deal of information and misinformation about autism available. On the Internet one can find over 100,000 sites devoted to this topic. So far, the only treatment that has been proved effective for all children with autism in the long run are structured educational programs. The earlier and the more intensive the intervention the better.

Q: What happens when a mother drinks during pregnancy?

A: Alcohol easily passes through the pregnant mother's placenta, resulting in almost equal levels of alcohol to the mother and the developing baby. The developing baby's immature liver takes much longer to metabolize the alcohol, so the baby's developing organs are exposed to the harmful effects of the alcohol for long periods of time. The effects of alcohol can harm the growing fetus during any time during the pregnancy. Damage does vary due to amount ingested, timing during pregnancy, peak blood alcohol levels, genetics, and environmental factors.

About 1/3 to 1/2 of infants born to alcoholic women develop full-blown Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). The remaining infants have varying degrees of fetal alcohol effects (FAE), also called alcohol-related birth defects (ARBD) and alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder (ARND). FAS is the leading cause of preventable mental retardation in the western world.