Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is a serious developmental disorder caused by prenatal alcohol exposure of the fetus, it is one of the leading causes of mental retardation in the United States, and one which is highly preventable. In 1968, Lemoine and his colleagues in Western France first described children born to mothers who drank heavily in pregnancy. They began to notice physical abnormalities particularly in the face, reduced size and problems of behavior and cognition. Little interest was placed on these observations. Then, in 1973, Jones and Smith described similar pattern abnormalities in children of alcoholic mothers and named the term Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. It was then, that the community recognized the potential harm to the fetus that was exposed to alcohol. Women who drink during pregnancy should pay the penalty or go to jail if they are harming an innocent child on purpose. .
The effects of FASD vary widely from person to person. Difficulties in an individual's ability to succeed at home, school, work, and in social situations may arise at different ages. For many people with an FASD, brain damage is the most serious effect. It may result in cognitive and behavior problems. One obvious sign of brain damage in some babies born with FAS is that they have a small head. Individuals with FAS may have facial abnormalities such as small eye openings, a smooth philtrum (groove under the nose), and a thin upper lip. Other features, sometimes seen in persons with FAS, include a short nose, a flat mid-face, or a small upper jaw. "The more alcohol a woman consumes during pregnancy, the poorer the child's motor coordination, speed of information processing, reasoning, and intelligence and achievement test scores during the preschool and school years."" (Berk 90) As an adult these individuals are at risk for victimization, becoming a homeless, going to jail, as well as not being able to find a job.