Protection from Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS)

This protection may possible come in the form of a pill. We are a step closer to creating a drug that will shield unborn babies from the dangerous effects of alcohol. The driving force behind this drug is to help alcoholic women have healthy babies. Seeing the stats on the amount a babies afflicted with FAS type of deformities is saddening.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is the leading preventable cause of mental retardation in children in the US, affecting up to three babies in every 1000 births. While stopping drinking is the most obvious solution, alcoholic mothers can find this very difficult - motivational programs have historically only been about 30 per cent effective.

A protective drug remains some years away, but the latest research shows how the fetal brain could specifically be shielded from alcohol. Michael Charness at Harvard Medical School and his colleagues found that a protein fragment called NAP stops alcohol from thwarting neurons’ ability to connect to each other during brain development.

Some of you out there may be thinking what I am thinking. Pregnant women will be able to drink without any worries. Well, this drug isn’t being designed for that purpose and I’m guessing the only way that this drug can stay at its intended status is to make it strictly available by prescription.

Mary Velasquez, a behavioural researcher at the University of Texas-Houston Health Sciences Center, says a drug would certainly be welcome among women at risk of FAS. “All the clients I see are looking for a magic bullet,” she said.

But she expressed reservations about any treatment that would allow a woman to keep drinking throughout pregnancy because of the numerous other social and health-related effects of alcohol.

It will be interesting to see if this drug will go the way of some of the prescription allergy medicines.

Source: NewScientist.com