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Every year countless babies are born with defects or disorders as a result of the mothers actions during pregnancy. The substances a mother consumes, just like the food she eats, eventually finds its way to the fetus greatly increasing the chances of the baby having health problems. Extensive research has been done in the way of studies and experiments that prove that the effects of drugs and alcohol are monumental.
HealthDay News reported that a study done by researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, found that babies exposed to methamphetamine and alcohol before birth have smaller caudate nucleus regions in the brain than non-exposed children or children exposed to alcohol only in the womb. What are caudate nucleus regions?
The caudate nucleus helps with:
learning
memory
motor control
motivation
Researchers who worked on the study compared and contrasted brain scans of 13 children exposed to alcohol in the womb, 21 children exposed to both methamphetamine and alcohol, and 27 children whose mothers did not use anything. "We know that alcohol exposure is toxic to the developing fetus and can result in lifelong brain, cognitive and behavioral problems," said researcher Elizabeth Sowell of the University of California at Los Angeles. "In this study, we show that the effects of prenatal meth exposure, or the combination of meth and alcohol exposure, may actually be worse. Our findings stress the importance of drug abuse treatment for pregnant women."
This information is not all that surprising, if alcohol is bad for a baby, then alcohol and meth would be terrible. Drugs and alcohol rob a child of their chances for success, babies need pollutant free environments to develop in; otherwise Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and, or, a sleuth of other health problems will result. There are many drug and alcohol treatment facilities that specialize in the recovery of pregnant addicts; any pregnant women that wants assistance getting clean, have the opportunity to give their baby a chance at life.
On Monday the U.S. Supreme Court denied a hearing of appeal from Brandy Holmes, who suffers from Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and is on death row for murder in Louisiana. Holmes' attorneys argued that FAS was not considered in her sentencing. Not only did the Supreme Court decline to hear the appeal, but, according to CNN, "the justices gave no reason for rejecting the appeal, which challenged the constitutionality of Louisiana's capital sentencing procedures and argued that Brandy Holmes' alleged developmental disabilities should disqualify her from execution". There is no reason why someone with mental disabilities who functions like a 10-12 year old should be executed in the United States of America. In the 21st century one would think that we would have an understanding of mental disorders and the constitutionality of punishing people with them the same way as others. There is no legitimate reason why the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome appeal should have been denied when previously the Supreme Court had banned the execution of the mentally retarded.
There is not a doubt that Holmes belongs in prison with a life sentence, but if some mentally retarded people are exempt from execution then every mental disability should be as well. "Experts on fetal alcohol syndrome call it the nation's leading preventable cause of mental retardation. As many as 40,000 newborns in the United States are affected each year by their mother's alcohol use, according to an advocacy group. The syndrome can lead to brain damage, behavioral problems and intellectual disabilities", as reported on CNN. We are just now starting to understand the complexities and inconsistencies that exist with this disorder. There are varying degrees of FAS and sometimes the disorder cannot be seen physically. Tom Donaldson, the president of the National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, believes that "Brandy has a hallmark case of FAS", that is why Brandy received NOFAS support with her appeal. "In a petition to the justices, Holmes' attorney, Charles Ogletree, argued the Louisiana Supreme Court did not "review the extensive mitigating circumstances that limited Ms. Holmes's moral culpability and compare them to the mitigating circumstances presented in similar cases. The [state] court also failed to consider that petitioner's co-defendant received a death sentence and that the prosecutor stated at the co-defendant's trial that he (and not the petitioner) was the more culpable party", reports CNN.
Brandy Holmes may be high functioning for someone with FAS as she was able to contribute to such a serious crime, but, mitigating circumstances should and must be considered. The Supreme Courts banning of executions for the mentally retarded is a good thing, but, the justices established no clear benchmark on IQ test results to guide criminal courts which has created loopholes for certain defendants like Holmes to fall into. Holmes has been living with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome; a life sentence given to her by her mother, maybe the State of Louisiana should do the same!
Tomorrow, fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) will be front and center in the Supreme Court. The case of Holmes v. Louisiana has raised a lot of controversy regarding FAS, and whether or not someone with the disorder should be eligible for the death penalty. "Brandy Holmes, is a 29-year-old woman with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome currently on death row in Louisiana. She and a codefendant were convicted of a 2003 murder in Louisiana. Brandy's lead attorney is noted Harvard Professor Charles Ogletree", according to the PR Newswire. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is the number one preventable form of retardation in the world; there are 40,000 newborns each year just in the United States. There are more cases annually than: autism, Downs syndrome, cerebral palsy, cystic fibrosis, spina bifida, and sudden infant death syndrome - combined.
There are many states that do not execute people who suffer from mental disabilities; society believes that to be inhumane. "Thirty-three states and the Federal Government don't execute persons with mental retardation - 16 more than only ten years ago. Evolving standards of decency place Brandy's case squarely within the precedent established by the court and society with regard to intellectual disabilities and the ultimate punishment". It is clear that Brandy, a person named after her mother's favorite drink, is a convicted murderer that deserves the consideration of mitigating circumstances. "Brandy has a hallmark case of FAS. Her mother testified that she drank throughout her pregnancy, and in fact named her daughter after her favorite drink", states NOFAS President Tom Donaldson. NOFAS is the The National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome; they fight for the rights of those who suffer from the disorder. NOFAS is there for children, as well as adults, who seek help for the wide range of problems associated with the disorder.
The statistics are available and the evidence is clear, we cannot continue to ignore this problem. The effects that alcohol have upon a pregnancy are devastating and we can no longer ignore the truth. Brandy may have committed the act of murder, but, because of her disability she should be granted a stay of execution. There needs to be more awareness via education regarding what alcohol does to babies. Donaldson believes that there needs to be more campaigns for the cause, "It's time to stop playing Russian roulette when it comes to alcohol and pregnancy". It is the 21st century, in an era of technology and information there is no excuse for why so many children are still born with such a disadvantage.
We have discussed Fetal Alcohol Syndrome earlier this month and we will continue to follow this story. We will watch to see if the Supreme Court makes a decision to hear Brandy Holmes' case.
The warning signs are out there, yet mothers continue to drink while pregnant. Why? Parents who drink alcohol exponentially increase the chance of their baby being born with birth defects. If we added up all the cases of children being born each year with Spina Bifida, Down Syndrome, and Muscular Dystrophy it would still be less than FASD cases, according to the National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder occurs when pregnant women consume alcohol and there are 40,000 cases of this every year in the United States. Despite awareness groups and doctors plastering the TV with their concerns, the problem lingers on. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is an invisible disability.
According to the Center for Disease Control, there is not a safe amount of alcohol of any kind to consume while one is pregnant. The Chicago Tribune interviewed Edward Riley, of San Diego State University, one of the nation's leading researchers on FASD: "There's a lot of stigma associated with alcohol abuse and this spills over into FASD, for biological parents, it is difficult ... it means they have to be willing to admit that they were a contributor. And for adoptive parents, it means that the perfect family they were looking for might not become a reality". The common belief with a certain number of people is that if the child does not have facial abnormalities then it does not have FASD; sadly, this is a common misconception because the range of problems can be behavioral only. Kathy Mitchell, of the National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (NOFAS) states that there are very few medical schools teaching their students how to spot the whole spectrum of issues that can be associated with FASD. "Unless a child has profound features or adopted from Russia, the possibility of FASD is never even thought of," claims Mitchell.
Today, 09/09/09, is the International Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) Awareness Day, where all across the world at 9:09 am bells will be rung to help raise awareness of the disorder. When FASD occurs more than: autism, Down Syndrome, spina bifida, muscular dystrophy, and HIV, it is hard to believe that there is not more awareness out there. Where are the celebrities? Where are the ribbon bumper stickers that we see for just about every other cause? The time has come to stop sweeping this disorder under the rug; it's not fair to the future born that parents can jeopardize their futures by drinking alcohol. Perhaps there should be severe penalties for women who drink during their pregnancies. Driving while intoxicated is illegal, why shouldn't gestating while intoxicated be too?
"If you're pregnant don't drink. If you drink don't get pregnant."
