Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is a mental and physical birth defect. This occurs when a pregnant woman consumes high levels of alcohol during her pregnancy. The effects of FAS can be traumatic in some cases, and in other cases children have been mildly affected by alcohol exposure. FAS has a wide range of effects on the fetus and infant, stunted growth, underdeveloped facial features, slow cognitive development and many more. The evidence from the cases is overwhelming, but in some societies it is still a persistent problem. I will discuss the effects of FAS over the life course.1. ChildhoodThe effects of FAS have a wide range of defects in early childhood, with damaged neurons, brain structure, heart and lung development affected in many cases. There are many cases of FAS, and most of them have very similar behaviors and social problems. One study in particular follows two brothers, 18 month old Mark and his older brother James, we'll talk about James a little later. This study comes from the book “Fetal Alcohol Syndrome” from the Institute of Medicine. Mark has been in foster care since birth, shows no language development and often bites people. He would also bite his toys and attempt to swallow non-food items, a condition known as "Pica." This often led to him choking on objects and his adoptive parents always feared he would suffocate. After a year in a stable home, with loving adoptive parents and a structured life, Mark showed great improvement. He was using his language skills and no longer biting, was eating regularly and had improved his social skills. He was still lacking growth and his tests were in the slightly delayed range. To me this shows that even though Mark has heavy signs of FAS, he was able to show major signs...... middle of paper ...... inks per occasion during pregnancy were more than two times more likely to consume alcohol. disorders in early adulthood. » (Pei 2011, p. 443). With such an effect on society, the need for housing or works cited by Stratton, Kathleen R., Cynthia J. Howe, and Frederick C. Battaglia. Fetal alcohol syndrome: diagnosis, epidemiology, prevention and treatment. Washington, DC: National Academy, 1996. Print. Sampson, Paul D., Ann P. Streissguth, Fred L. Bookstein, Ruth E. Little, Sterling K. Clarren, Philippe Dehaene, James W. Hanson, and John M. Graham. “Incidence of fetal alcohol syndrome and prevalence of alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorders.” Teratology 56.5 (1997): 317-26. Print.Pei, Jacqueline, Kennedy Denys, Janet Hughes and Carmen Rasmussen. “Mental Health Issues Related to Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.” Journal of Mental Health 20.5 (2011): 473-83. Print.