Fetal Alcohol Syndrome gives kids uphill battle

Not being able to sleep is common for Michael; it's one of the symptoms of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), a condition caused when a mother drinks during her pregnancy. Ms. Santiago is a recovering alcoholic who quit drinking the day Michael was born.

FAS is the leading cause of mental retardation in the U.S. Ninety percent of children exposed to alcohol prenatally will show symptoms of mental health problems by age six. Children with FAS or FAE (fetal alcohol effects) may have physical abnormalities, growth retardation and central nervous system effects like developmental delays or neurological abnormalities.

End of drinking

"He was saved, and so was I," she told The Evangelist. "I haven't drank since that day."

But Michael's problems were far from over. Ms. Santiago remembered many sleepless nights when she couldn't understand what was wrong with her baby: He wasn't hungry, wasn't wet, wasn't teething -- but wouldn't fall sleep.

As he grew, it became evident that Michael had the markedly short attention span and agitation typical of FAS. In a normal school setting, he was often suspended or sent to the principal's office for acting out. He was diagnosed with epilepsy and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but his mother knew "there were other things that weren't being addressed."

Help on way

"It's very hard to make a diagnosis" of FAS or FAE, said Mrs. Shea. "Children who don't have the full-blown syndrome can look normal, but their brains are abnormal."

She noted that diagnosing FAS is made more difficult by the fact that most parents don't want to admit that they drank while pregnant.

In Michael's case, an assessment showed that he did indeed have the condition. At age nine, "his emotional development was around age two or three," said Mrs. Shea. "He was a tantruming, out-of-control kid, beating up everybody in the house. His older sisters were threatening to leave home."

Treatment

While they may be very bright, as Michael is, they are also emotionally much younger than their chronological age. Ms. Santiago said that Michael has few friends his own age but loves younger children. Michael is now allowed to leave his classroom at Albany's School 18 to read to first-graders, which he loves.

"Michael is 11 and he believes in Santa Claus," said his mother. "He wants to sit on my lap. He's young. He's more six than 11."

Ms. Santiago said that Michael also receives occupational therapy to help with his poor writing and hand-eye coordination, and is on "quite a bit of medication," although the symptoms of his ADHD, epilepsy and FAS overlap.

In addition, Michael sees Mrs. Shea for therapy every week, and Ms. Santiago participates in the FAS program's parenting group.

Transformation

In school, Ms. Santiago said proudly that the boy who used to be suspended constantly now earns prizes through an award system for good behavior.

"It's still a battle, but he's not getting in trouble like he was," she stated. "He's getting some Bs, Cs."

"He's having an excellent academic year," Mrs. Shea agreed. "He's doing much better at home -- more in control of his behavior, taking responsibility for his behavior."

Parental involvement

She also had a message: "It's okay to admit that there is a problem. People want to pull down their shades and hide and [think] it'll go away. They look at all [these] kids like they are bad kids. They say, `It's the parents; they don't know how to raise the child.' I did that to myself! But there's an explanation for children's behaviors most of the time."

Ms. Santiago remembered when she would get impatient with parents whose children acted up in stores. "Today, I say, `Oh, I've been there.' People need to open their eyes and stop pulling down the shades."

After attending the area's first conference on FAS last month, she added that alcoholic women should watch the films she saw on babies with FAS before they ever get pregnant. "Educate the mothers ahead of time," she stated. "It would make a difference."

(01-06-00) [[In-content Ad]]